Dreaming in Darkness
by xpiester333x
Summary: The Straw Hat Pirates come upon a strange hotel after days of battling against a nasty storm. The hotel seems like a dream come true, and the Straw Hats find themselves enthralled with the excellent service and hospitality. But dreams can be dangerous things, especially when they are used to trap you inside your mind.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **It's finally here! This is my piece for the 2014/2015 One Piece Big Bang event! I feel like I've been waiting forever to share this, and I'm so happy it's finally time.

My partner for this fic was the lovely kupocoffee on tumblr! and I will post a link to their artwork in my ff profile.

I had the idea for this fic forever ago when I was listening to Hotel California, and I seriously held on to the idea for so long before this event gave me a chance to write it. So hopefully you'll enjoy!

Also a huge thank you to caelumxiv for being my beta and whipping my sorry story with weird typos and awkward sentences into shape!

* * *

The weather on the Grand Line was always unpredictable. Half the time is was downright awful, but it wasn't usually such a big deal. Nami was one of the best, if not _the_ best, navigators in the world. Storms could try to go against her, but Nami could sail them all. Most of the time she was able to find a way around a storm before it even managed to reach them, but sometimes they had no choice but to sail through the squall. Nami guided them carefully during those rare moments, and they usually made it through quickly without even the slightest damage. It was impressive, to say the least, and made travel on the Grand Line incredibly easy for the Straw Hat Pirates.

They were three days out from the last port, too far out to turn around, when Nami felt the change in the wind. The storm picked up, catching the ship in massive, rolling waves within the hour. It had been impossible to navigate around. Nami had tried taking them out of the way several kilometers north in an attempt to avoid it, but the storm was wider than Nami was willing to travel and the only course of action was to batten down the hatches and prepare to sail through it.

It was a big one. Waves rose over their ship, washing over the deck and threatening to take members of the crew with them. Rain poured down, stinging at their skin and soaking them through. Cold settled into their bones and made them ache. Nami had predicted it might take a couple of hours to get through, and once they were through the storm, the next island wouldn't be too far. Being in one island's steady climate meant calmer waters.

That had been three days ago.

"Namiiiii," Luffy whined, bouncing his head on the galley's table. Usopp and Franky hastily restacked the pile of cards that the vibrations were displacing, both sending him very pointed looks. Their irritations went ignored however, and after a brief pause to speak, Luffy continued his bouncing.

"You said it would only take a couple of hours!"

Sanji set a plate of fried meat in front of his captain, smacking Luffy's hands with a spatula when he pounced on it. Luffy snatched his hand back to his chest and sent Sanji a scornful look, a petulant pout on his face.

"Don't give Nami-san a hard time."

"I'm sorry," Nami apologized for what might have been the thousandth time in the last few days. She sighed, staring down into the steaming mug of coffee than Sanji had placed in front of her. She couldn't quite bring herself to meet their eyes.

The storm was taking its toll on everybody. There would be slight breaks like this one, where the ocean would settle a bit and the rain would lighten just a little, and they'd be able to eat a meal or take a nap. Their rest never seemed to last long enough before the wind would pick up again and they'd be scrambling to keep their ship in one piece. Even now, Nami could hear the rain coming down harder than before, and she was sure any minute now Zoro would be calling all hands on deck again.

"Maybe we could use the Coup de Burst to get out of here?" Usopp suggested, picking a card from his hand and placing it on the table in front of Robin with a smug grin.

"SUPER idea, bro!" Franky gave him a thumbs up in approval.

"No, not a super idea," Nami corrected irritably. She pinched the bridge of her nose. She'd been running on less sleep than anyone because she was the only one who could navigate them through this. "If we do that we're likely to get blown away to who knows where. We're just going to have to sail through it."

There was a collective sigh from everyone in the galley. Nami bit her lip. She felt guilty for misleading them, and every time she had to shoot down their hope, she felt even worse. It wasn't her fault, and no one really seemed to blame her, but she knew how tired they were, and how badly they wanted this storm to end.

"I'll get us through this."

She hadn't realized she'd said it out loud until she got a reply.

"Of course you will," Luffy said, chunks of meat flying from his mouth with the words. He swallowed the rest of his mouthful and grinned broadly at her. "You're my navigator!"

"There's no one more competent for the job," Robin said, looking up from her book and giving Nami a warm smile.

"Yeah, Nami," Usopp chimed in. "We're totally counting on you."

The faith of her captain and crew restored her energy better than a full night's sleep ever would. She sat up straighter, and for the first time in what felt like days, a hint of a smile stretched her lips. She felt wide awake once more and ready to tackle whatever the storm threw at her next. Her nakama needed her.

"All hands on deck!" Zoro's called out over the sound of the rain.

Through the galley window, Nami could see that the weather had picked up again. The torrents of rain made it difficult to see, but she could feel the waves had kicked up again. The rocking of the ship beneath her feet was enough to tell her that. The storm was challenging her, testing her resolve. She smirked before taking one last gulp of her coffee.

"All hands on deck!" She repeated.

She would show this storm who was boss.

* * *

They came upon the island on the fifth day, if you could even call it that. It was barely a strip of land, a tall strip of rock rising from the sea, with only a single building resting on top. It didn't even register on the log pose. The ocean's waves struck mercilessly against the base of the rock, wearing into the side of the jutting cliff, leaving it balanced on only one side. One day, the whole island might crumble into the sea.

The building on the island had seen better days. It was worn down and weather beaten, with some of the windows boarded and hasty repairs made to the siding in an attempt to keep the weather out. It was taller than it was wide, and Nami swore it seemed to sway in the wind, though it could have been a trick of the rain. It didn't look safe or habitable, but there was a light glowing in the first story window that showed them someone was home.

"Can we go look?" Luffy asked, the thirst for adventure shining in his eyes.

Nami stared at the island skeptically. Though the storm had died down considerably for the moment, it didn't seem safe to anchor too close to the island. The way the waves beat against the island's base promised wreckage for their poor ship. On the other hand, if they anchored further out, she doubted they could get up to steep sides of the rock from the mini Merry.

Most of the crew had gathered by the railing to look at the little island with its single building. Their excitement was palpable. A chance to rest and stretch their legs on land was too good to pass up after almost a week of weathering a bad storm.

"It's not safe to drop anchor here," she said. Nami could already feel their bitter disappointment. "Let's sail around the other side and see if it's better there."

She hoped for all of their sake's that it would be. She was just as weary and in need of a break as the rest of them. She wasn't going to risk their ship for a minute of rest, however, and as tired as the others were, she knew they wouldn't want that either. If nothing else, the weather had quieted enough to drop anchor some distance away from the island, and maybe get a proper night's sleep.

It didn't take long to sail a wide arch around to the other side of the island. The strip of land was so small it only took them maybe ten minutes to get around it, and the other side proved to be worth it. The rock sloped down on that side, creating a small "beach" of crumbled stone. It was low enough to make use of the mini Merry, and would allow them a safe means to get on to the island.

Nami watched the lights of the first floor window as they passed. The entire first floor of the building had been illuminated, so that the light was visible even as they came around the other side of the building. None of the other floors that towered above them were lit. Nami's apprehension grew has they drew closer to the island. Would the people inside be friend or foe?

Nami had been associated with pirates since she was a little girl, she knew the reputation pirates had with most people. At one point, before she had met Luffy and the others, she had felt the same way about pirates. She knew her crew was not comprised of the same ambitious and blood thirsty pirates that Arlong's crew had been, but to most people that distinction was nonexistent. Pirates were pirates.

Nami couldn't blame the people in this building if they didn't want pirates on their land, but she hoped for everyone's sake that they would be civil enough to let the Straw Hats on to their island at the very least. It would be trouble if they had to pack up so soon.

"Franky, get the mini Merry ready for us. We'll drop anchor a little ways out and use the Merry to get to shore," she instructed.

"Sure thing, Sis!" Franky said.

"Hey! Do you think they'll have meat?! Do you think they'd make meat for us?" Luffy clapped excitedly.

"You just ate," Sanji reminded him, his teeth biting down on his cigarette in annoyance.

Nami ignored the others. She was watching the windows of the building carefully. From this distance, she could hardly make anything out. The rain was still sprinkling down, even if the worst of it had passed. Though she couldn't see to tell for sure, she felt like there was someone watching them from the windows. She could almost see a figure silhouetted against the light, but she couldn't be sure if that figure was actually a person or just a piece of furniture.

"What's wrong, Nami?" Usopp asked, startling Nami out of her thoughts.

"Nothing," she responded quickly. Too quickly. Usopp gave her a confused look.

"It's nothing," she said again, slower. "I'm just wondering how well we'll be received."

Usopp nodded, seeming to understand. "Well, just think. What's the worst that could happen? We have to head back to the ship?"

When he put it that way, her concerns seemed so silly.

"You're right," she smiled, turning away from the island. "Let's go get ready. Once Franky has the mini Merry ready to go, Luffy's not going to wait."

Usopp laughed in agreement, heading towards his factory to gather whatever it was he felt he would need. Nami followed him for a moment, splitting off towards the girls' room for a change of clothes. She turned back just one more time, her eyes seeking out that same silhouette. She watched it for only a second more before shaking it off and turning away.

* * *

They waited under a drizzle of rainfall for the last of the crew to be carted ashore. The mini Merry was only built to move a few of them at a time, and fitting the whole crew in there would have been maddening and dangerous. So they made smaller trips, Franky escorting them from the ship to the island in groups of two or three, and then turning back to gather the next group. It took longer, and it was hard to keep Luffy from shooting off like a rocket towards the tall building, but it was the only option.

Franky pulled the last group ashore, and moored the mini Merry to a sturdy looking rock using a stretch of rope. Without the flat wall of rock to slam against, the water on this side of the island proved much less of a threat to the little water craft. Luffy became uncontrollable, bouncing and fidgeting, talking about food and adventure while he tried to reach the building first. Chopper, who had been trying to hold their captain at bay while in heavy point, lost a grip on the rubber man. Luffy went rushing towards the building in a fit of excitement.

Nami eyed the building nervously. Of course Luffy wanted to check it out, it looked like a comically large haunted house. Creepy, scary places like this were, unfortunately, right up on the list of her captain's favorite places to explore. From up close, the light illuminating the windows seemed to flicker, indicating a fire inside. Nami had to admit, with the chill of the rain and the sea soaking through her clothes and into her bones, a fire sounded awfully tempting. However, the idea of entering the creepiest house Nami had ever seen did not.

A warm hand clamped down on her shoulder. It was trembling slightly.

"Do we really have to go in there?" Usopp asked her in a low voice. "This place gives me the creeps."

"Me too," Nami admitted, glad that Usopp shared her opinion on the matter.

Usopp was the only other person on the crew that seemed to contain a healthy level of fear. Sanji, Zoro, and Luffy didn't know the meaning of the word, and were often in the thickest parts of the worst situations _by choice_. Franky took everything in stride, and Robin had a morbid sense of curiosity and humor that made her fearless. Brook was already dead, so life threatening situations hardly fazed him, and Chopper was naïve enough to believe anything Luffy told him. That left Nami and Usopp to be the only sensible ones on the crew. She was thankful that at least Usopp would hear her fears and understand them.

"Maybe we should turn around now, take the mini Merry back to the ship. There's no way the others would even notice, look at them." Usopp gestured to their friends. The crew's cheerful chatter was a stark contrast to the mysterious, rundown old building in the middle of the sea.

"We can't," Nami argued softly. "What if something happens to them and they need our help?"

"Do you realize who you're talking about?" Usopp asked incredulously.

Nami sighed, and patted the warm hand that was still on her shoulder. It was still trembling. "Come on, Usopp," she said. "I'll be there too."

Usopp whimpered, but she knew he'd come along. He was braver than he let on. He felt the same healthy fear as she did, but he was always there when things were at their worst. He was there for them at Enies Lobby, even when he'd sworn he was leaving the crew. He was the one that had her back the most back on Thriller Bark, back when zombies were chasing after them and when she was attacked by an invisible pervert.

She shuddered. Usopp wasn't a coward, and it made her feel better to have him by her side.

They approached the building, following Luffy's lead to the front door. It was covered by an entrance canopy. The door might have once been a rich red color, but it had been worn down from the constant weathering of the sun and the sea, and had faded to an ugly rose instead. On it, letters had been peeled or torn off by the wind until only a few were visible.

H – O – half a T – L were what remained.

"Hotel?" Chopper guessed in a small voice. "This is a hotel?"

"It doesn't look like any hotel I want to stay in," Zoro scoffed, kicking at a piece of debris that littered the front of the building.

"Me either," Usopp agreed. "It looks like it's falling apart."

"Totally, Bro," Franky agreed. He surveyed the building with the discerning eye of a professional. "I'm not even sure how it's still standing."

"Maybe it's magic," Robin smiled mysteriously.

"Robin!" Usopp moaned. "Why do you have to say things like that?"

"Come on, guys!" Luffy cried. He was already standing by the front door of the hotel, bouncing excitedly while he waited for his nakama to catch up.

The door towered over them, spanning almost the entire height of the first floor. It was impractically large, and slightly intimidating. Nami could feel Usopp beside her, trembling anew as they drew closer. She had to suppress a shiver herself. Everything about the hotel gave her the creeps, and the sooner they could get out of here, the better. She would take a week in that storm over even an hour in this place.

"Come on, come on, come on." Luffy was chanting impatiently, hand itching to reach for the doorknob, when the door did him a favor and creaked open on its own.

"I didn't do it," Luffy said quickly, stepping away from the door as if to prove his innocence. "It opened by itself."

"We saw that, dumbass." Sanji growled.

The door swung inwards, revealing a young, blonde haired woman. She beamed at them, her smile stretching her face almost unnaturally wide. Silence settled between them.

Robin was the first to speak. "Hello," she said casually, the way she did even when she was uneasy. The mask of unconcern settled easily on her face. "We're sorry to interrupt your evening."

"Not at all," the woman replied cheerfully. "Did you get lost in the storm?"

There was something off about the woman. Though she appeared to be young, her mannerisms and the way she carried herself seemed too old fashioned for a person that couldn't be older than Robin. Her smile wrinkled her cheeks, and her teeth were unnaturally white and straight. Her eyes were large, bright, but devoid of emotion. Her expression looked almost frozen except for when she spoke.

"Not lost." Robin spared a smile for Nami. "But we have been traveling through it for some time, and we're a little weary."

"Oh my!" the woman exclaimed. "Then by all means you must come in for a rest."

"We don't intend to stay long," Robin added.

The woman's smile fell, just a fraction. It was almost unnoticeable, but Nami caught it. Before she could put much thought into it, however, the woman smiled with renewed brightness.

"Well, you must stay for a meal at least, we insist!" the woman said.

Robin and Nami exchanged a glance, and Nami could see the archaeologist had noticed something off about the woman as well. Before either of them got the chance to voice their concerns, however, Luffy had already shot off past the woman, drool forming at the corners of his mouth at the mention of food.

Sanji sighed at his captain's idiocy, and stepped forward from the group.

"My lady." Sanji bowed deeply to the woman. "You are an angel sent from the heavens in our time of need. If there is anyway a gentleman such as myself can repay your kindness, I would be most honored to do it."

Before the woman could make her reply, Sanji was forced into the hotel by a swift kick from Zoro.

"Hurry it up, cook. The rest of us want to get out of the rain," the swordsman groused, stepping over the cook's sprawled form.

The woman looked entirely unfazed by both Sanji's flirtations and Zoro's display of violence, a smile still stretched across her face as she welcomed them in. Robin sent Nami one last significant look before she followed Franky inside, a look warned her to keep her guard up.

Nami took a deep breath as she stared into the hotel beyond the doorway. She could see the flickering of firelight casting dancing shadows over her nakama. Their smiles were easier and more free flowing at the moment than she had seen them in days, and though Nami knew there was something wrong about this situation, she knew for their sake she would have to step inside. Every muscle in her body seemed to tense as she made her first step, but she grit her teeth in determination and forced herself to take another.

She made the mistake of casting one more suspicious glance as the woman as she passed her. She beamed at Nami, making her freeze momentarily in front of the door. The woman's figure reminded her exactly of the silhouette that had been watching their approach from the first floor window. Had this woman stood still for so long, waiting for them to arrive?

A chill of unease ran down Nami's spine.

"Hey, Nami…"

A hand settled on her shoulder, warmer than the chill air around them and comforting in it's familiarity. It eased her uncertainty and she looked away from the woman to her friend gratefully.

"Everything okay?" Usopp asked.

"It's fine," she said, smiling back at him. "Sorry."

She spared the smiling woman one last glance before following the others into the hotel, trying to ignore the sensation of being watched as she did so.

* * *

The inside of the hotel seemed much brighter and better cared for than the outside. The furniture and decorations of the main lobby were several decades outdated, but the chairs looked plush and comfortable, and there was a fire blazing in a large stone fireplace. The heat was most welcome after the chill of the rain and the sea spray.

Chopper was the first to rush to the fireplace. "Finally," he said, sighing with contentment. "A chance to dry out my fur!"

"Don't burn yourself," Zoro warned, watching warily as Chopper leaned further over the hearth.

"Yohoho! Let me join you Chopper! I'm soaked to the bone! Ah, skull joke!"

Luffy laughed tucking himself down next to Chopper. "Good one, Brook!"

"Luffy!" Sanji hissed, just barely managing to catch his captain by the collar of his shirt as his balance teetered closer to the fire.

Luffy chuckled. "Thanks, Sanji!"

"Luffy," Robin called. She stood by one of the larger armchairs in the room. "Perhaps you'd like to try sitting on this? It's quite springy."

Her diversion worked, and Luffy quickly made a game of seeing how high he could bounce.

While the others settled around the fire or watched Luffy's game, Nami hung back, taking in the details of the room. Though outdated and gaudy, the decorations of the room were clean and cared for. Given the appearance of the outside of the building, Nami expected the inside to be filled with broken furniture and covered in a thick layer of dust, but that was not the case. Once upon a time, this place might have been quite impressive: the taste of the interior design suggested an expensive palette. However, given the hotel's location and the rundown, broken appearance of the outside, Nami didn't think this place had seen any guests in years.

"My name is Elizabeth and I will be your hostess for this evening," the smiling woman announced, startling them with her sudden arrival. Nami had been so distracted by the furnishings she hadn't even heard the front door close.

"If you'll come this way, we'll have a meal prepared for you shortly." Elizabeth gestured to a doorway off to the side of the main lobby.

"Yay, food!" Luffy cried, following the woman's direction.

"Wait!" Nami called, reaching after him and just barely managing to catch the string that kept his hat looped around his neck.

Luffy halted in his tracks, turning a curious eye back to his navigator.

"We don't have any money," Nami said.

It was a lie, of course. She always made sure they had some money set aside for emergencies and supplies. She wasn't about to hand any of that over for one meal, however, not when they had food on the ship and a competent cook of their own. The idea had been to rest for a bit on the island, not pay for a meal in some strange hotel.

Elizabeth's smile never faded. "Of course the meal will be free of charge," she explained cheerfully. "We don't get many guests here, and we want to make sure those that manage to find their way here are fully cared for."

"Even without pay?" Robin asked, her tone incredulous. "I have a hard time believing that."

Elizabeth turned the full effect of her stare on Robin, and for one moment her eerie smile fell.

"Is it so hard to believe we just want to help people on their journeys?" She asked.

The room was silent for a moment, the atmosphere tense and thick as Robin and the woman continued to stare at each other. Nami swallowed, there was something dangerous burning in Robin's brown and blue eyes, but the moment her friend blinked, it was gone.

"I suppose there is no problem then," Robin said, her voice cool and neutral.

Elizabeth's smile reappeared in a flash. "Then if you'll follow me, I'll see to it that our chefs prepare you a full course meal."

Luffy cheered and followed as fast as his feet would carry him, and the others followed behind him. Robin stood in her place for a moment, glaring at the doorway Elizabeth had just disappeared through before shaking her head and following after their captain.

"That was intense," Usopp said, sliding up beside Nami.

"Yeah," Nami agreed. Her eyes followed Robin as she went, but the archaeologist didn't seem to have any other objections for the moment.

"Still, a free meal?" Usopp said. "You must be happy."

"Yeah," Nami agreed again. She was too distracted to offer anything more. There was something strange here, and it made her uneasy. But Usopp was right. A free meal would keep Luffy full for a little while, and save them both food and money. "Yeah," she said again, this time with more enthusiasm.

Usopp shared a smile with her before they both followed the others into the other room.

* * *

The long dining table was lined with a row of candles, which helped to light the room along with another massive fireplace. However the candles had to be removed, on Franky's insisting, or else Luffy would burn the whole building down. Though the fire blazed brightly, there was something about the firelight that gave a creepy atmosphere to the room. Maybe Nami was just spoiled by the electrical lights Franky had put in the galley, or maybe it was the dark wood of the table and the dark red carpeting below their feet that seemed to grab at the shadows and stretch them further. It didn't have the usual cheery atmosphere that their dinner tables held.

Though the storm clouds were thick and evening was coming on fast, the lack of windows in the dining room was disconcerting. There wasn't much time to dwell on it though. Dinner was served to them almost the moment they sat down, which was strange since they had only just arrived. Surely there wasn't time to prepare a meal for nine.

The moment the plates hit the table, however, the fight to protect their food from Luffy's wandering hands was on. Nami lost her train of thought in the battle to protect her soup, and the rest of the troubles seemed to fade away as soon as she took the first bite of her meal. The food was delicious, impressive enough to rival Sanji's.

"Mademoiselle," Sanji called to Elizabeth. Apart from being the hostess she also seemed to be the waitress. Nami wasn't surprised. A place like this in the middle of nowhere must have been short on staff.

"The food is simply divine," Sanji said, once he had their hostess' attention. He was practically melting in his seat under her smile. "I would love to have a word with the chef about this. You know, I'm a cook myself."

"Oh, I'm very sorry, our chefs will be going home soon" Elizabeth said.

"Going… home?" Sanji asked.

"Yes," Elizabeth beamed down at him. "But I'm sure tomorrow they would love to talk with you. Maybe you could help them prepare!"

"Yes!" Sanji agreed, dancing in his seat. All traces of confusion were gone from his eyes, only his passionate love for the blonde woman remained.

Nami felt her own confusion fading away as well, and for the first time since they had landed on this small island, she let herself relax. The tension drained from her muscles as she settled into her chair. It was worded strangely, considering this was the only building on this tiny rock of an island. But perhaps the others employed at this hotel simply rented out rooms here to stay in. "Going home" could be as simple as going upstairs. Nami decided not to worry too much about the meaning behind Elizabeth's words, instead turning her attention back to their delicious meal.

The dishes seemed never ending. Even when one was emptied, another, heaped with steaming meats and vegetables, appeared in its place. It was a meal perfect for someone like Luffy who could eat endlessly without a care, and perfect for the rest of them who could eat in peace, assured that even if Luffy stole from them there would be more to come. They had gotten used to eating quickly in between dangerous situations, so a full sized meal eaten in peace was exactly what they needed.

The once quiet meal quickly turned into a typical Straw Hat event, if not slightly more reserved than usual. Brook had brought his violin with him, and played them tunes while the rowdier members of their crew began to dance and sing in horrible, off key voices. Nami laughed and clapped along, cheering on their performance as Luffy and Usopp danced arm-in-arm and sang in harmony. Even Robin, who was still sending suspicious looks Elizabeth's way, was convinced to dance with Franky for a song.

"This is great!" Usopp laughed, dropping into the seat next to Nami. He was out of breath, but wore a lazy, contented smile.

"Yeah." Nami smiled, glancing around the room. Zoro was allowing Chopper to lead him in some kind of dance, and Sanji had traded places with Franky for a chance to dance with Robin. All of them wore brilliant smiles and looked at ease for the first time in days.

"You did a good job leading us here," Usopp said.

Nami paused. Did she lead them here? She tried to remember. Hadn't they come across this place by accident? She glanced at her wrist, where her log pose sat. The needle was pointing somewhere west-northwest, and didn't look at all like it was registering the island's magnetic field. The log pose hadn't led them here… Didn't they find this place by accident?

"Usopp, I didn't lead us here," she said.

"You didn't?" Usopp looked confused for a moment before he shrugged. "Oh well, I'm glad we came here anyway."

"Yeah." Nami smiled again. "Me too."

It was hours before the Straw Hats started to run out of energy and things began to quiet down. The fire had died outin the fireplace, and the room was dark save for the dim glowing of the embers. The dancing had stopped, and Brook had changed his music from upbeat sea shanties to gentle lullabies.

"Perhaps you are ready to retire for the night?" Elizabeth asked. It was as if she had melted from the wall. Where no one had stood before, she was suddenly there without a sound. The dim glow from the fireplace lit the wide smile on her face and added a warm glow to her eyes.

"We don't have any money," Nami protested weakly. Truthfully, she wanted nothing more than to fall into a thick, comfortable mattress and sleep for the rest of the night. She wasn't keen on the idea of returning to the ship, where the storm's waves would hardly give her a moment's rest. But the idea of shelling out money for a hotel had always been written as a fierce 'no' in her book. As tired as she was, she stuck by the book.

"Of course there would be no charge," Elizabeth said. "We simply want to see you well rested."

There it was again, the itching feeling in the back of Nami's mind that something was definitely wrong here. She just couldn't put her finger on what. It pricked at her mind, like there was something she wasn't supposed to forget, but try as she might she couldn't remember. She was too tired to think about it anymore.

"Yes," Robin spoke, shifting a half-sleeping Chopper in her lap. "I think we are ready to retire for the night."

"Splendid!" Elizabeth said. "Then if you'll all follow me, I'll show you to your rooms."

They did as their hostess said, too tired to do anything else but follow her. All of them were ready to fall asleep. Usopp even stumbled a few times, tripping over his feet as he dozed while walking. Luffy might have already been asleep.

Elizabeth led them back into the main lobby and then off through another doorway, one that led down into a long hallway. About half way down, she stopped in front of an ornately carved wooden door.

"Here you are, Miss Navigator," Elizabeth said, turning to face Nami. "This will be your room for the night."

Nami pushed the door open and peeked inside. The room was light and airy, decorated in whites and creams with accents of pale orange. A lush white carpet lined the floor and matching drapes hung in front of the windows, thick enough to block out even the brightest sunlight. One side of the room led off to a small washroom area. Nami almost cried at the idea of having her own washroom. At the moment, however, she only had eyes for one thing: A large, four-poster bed in the center of the room. It looked unbelievably comfortable, and Nami wanted nothing more than to sink into the bed's thick blankets and sleep for a hundred years.

"Pleasant dreams," Elizabeth said, sparing Nami one last smile. "Now if the rest of you will follow me…"

Nami let the rest of the sentence drown out as she entered the room, the door falling shut behind her. She immediately bee-lined for the bed, letting her body free fall onto the mattress and soaking up the impossible comfort. The sheets gave off a familiar, tangy fragrance that reminded her of fresh tangerines from the grove back on Cocoyashi. Nami inhaled deeply, the smell putting her very soul at ease.

Nami kicked off her shoes in a hurry, climbing into the bed properly and burying herself under the scented sheets. She could feel her consciousness fading the moment her head hit the pillows, and she gladly let it pull her away into sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Nami sat as her desk, surrounded by glittering diamonds that refracted light in every direction. Gems of every color and value, from the rarest to the most common, and gold enough to have paid for her village ten times over. Nami sighed with pleasure as she stared into the crystal surface of a diamond. She relished the value of her commodities. Her world map had been more than a success: the world's leaders had tripped over themselves to acquire it. They had thrown the entirety of their fortunes at her for the chance to have her recently finished map. It was the only map of its kind, after all.

Nami had created the first full map of the world, a dream come true, and as a result she had become a very rich woman indeed.

"Miss Nami," one of the maids called for her, "should I draw you a bath?"

Nami put down the diamond she had been examining, and took the eyeglass from her eye. It was a quality diamond, if not a little small, but there was no need to hide it away. Even if someone stole it from her, she had a hundred others like it in her basement's vault. Her wealth was limitless.

"That would be lovely, thank you." Nami spared the maid a smile. A bath sounded like a magnificent idea, she was feeling a little tired anyway.

With a final nod, the maid left her alone with her account books. Nami smiled at them fondly, taking one of the older ones from the stack and flipping through its pages.. She remembered a time in her life when she would have done anything to acquire money. She'd steal, lie, even murder if she had to. Well, maybe not murder. She never could bring herself to go that far, but at the time, who knew? Money had been her ticket to freedom; she would have gone to any lengths to get it, and even when she had a comfortable sum, it was never enough.

But those days were past. She had enough now, more than enough. With money came power, control, and freedom. Her family back on Cocoyashi was safe. Arlong was gone, banished by the powers of the world. Who knows where they had sent him, she didn't bother to ask. As long as he no longer had the means to harm her friends and family, that was all that mattered. Money had bought her both safety and peace of mind. Whoever had said money couldn't buy happiness was full of shit.

She sighed, placing the last of the jewels on her desk into a small box. She'd finish appraising its value later. A bath was in order first.

She climbed the stairs of her home, tracing her fingers along the fine wooden railing. The carpet beneath her feet was soft and plush, and the paintings along the walls were original copies of the finest works, all framed in gold. Her home was large and lavish for just one person to be living in, but she had the money to purchase it, so why not? It was the home she had dreamed about as a child. She felt like a princess living in such a grand estate. She had once invited Bellemere and Nojiko to live here, but they had turned her down. It didn't surprise her; this was not the kind of lifestyle that would have suited Bellemere anyway.

"Oh, Miss Nami!" The same maid as before was returning from the bathroom. "I would have come get you when the bath was ready."

"I got a little bored." Nami shrugged.

"The bath is almost ready." The maid gave her a short bow.

Nami knew almost nothing about the girl. She frowned. It was strange that she had never gotten to know any of her staff very well. They were hired by an agency and worked around her, causing as little disturbance as possible, but Nami had never once found herself in a real conversation with one. Wasn't that strange? Nami was usually outgoing; she wasn't shy by any means, and while she liked the quiet when she was working or resting, she was usually social in her spare time.

"What's your name?" she asked her maid curiously.

"My name?" The girl looked shocked to be asked such a basic question. Nami wasn't even sure how long the girl had worked for her. The girl's brown eyes were so warm, they reminded her of the desert sun, but the way her blue hair spilled over her shoulders and down her back was reminiscent of rain. For a moment she swore she could see the scene before her; a barren landscape drinking in its much needed rainfall, but when she blinked the image was gone.

"My name is Vivi," the maid responded, ducking her head politely.

"Are you from Alabasta?" Nami asked.

"I am," Vivi replied, looking surprise. "You could tell?"

"I did map the world." Nami winked and laughed. "Something about your name reminded me of it."

Vivi smiled, but the smile fell quickly from her face. "There isn't much left there now," she said sadly. "My family could no longer make a living there, so I came here for work."

Nami could only vaguely remember Alabasta. It was mostly desert, she remembered that much, and there was a drought. Nami couldn't imagine living for very long in that country, but the people had been very friendly and accommodating.

"It was a nice place," Nami said. It was a half-truth anyway.

"Thank you." Vivi nodded. She smiled again, a soft but genuine smile. "Your bath should be ready now."

Nami smiled, things felt right again. "Thank you." Nami gave a final nod before heading towards the bathroom. A bath still sounded fantastic.

* * *

Nami trailed her fingers lazily through the water, feeling its slight resistance as she swirled it around the tub. She pulled her fingers from the small whirlpool they had created. They were white and wrinkled. She'd been sitting in the tub for so long that the water was beginning to cool, but she didn't feel inclined to get out just yet. She sighed, sinking lower into the water. Truthfully, she felt bored again. Not just with the bath; nothing she could think to do next sounded fun to her. She didn't want to return to appraising diamonds and gold, but she didn't want to spend the day in her library reading again either. The gardens were in bloom and stunningly gorgeous, but if she had to spend another minute around the pollen she would sneeze herself to death. Absolutely nothing sounded appealing to her at the moment.

"Miss Nami?" A voice carried through the door. "Are you okay?"

"Vivi?" Nami asked, just to be sure. The voice was familiar, though Nami didn't spend much of her time speaking to her help. "Come in here."

"Is something wrong, Miss—oh." Vivi turned away quickly, averting her eyes. Nami chuckled at the girl's bashfulness. It wasn't as if Nami had anything that Vivi didn't; they were both women after all. And besides that, the water was still sudsy from the bubble bath mixture. There was nothing to see even if Vivi had wanted a glimpse.

Maybe the idea of nudity made the poor girl feel uncomfortable. Nami had never been shy about such things (though she'd charge anyone who tried to catch a peek), but that didn't mean other people felt the same.

"Sorry, Vivi." Nami stood, reaching for a nearby towel and wrapping it around herself. "I'm decent now."

"Is everything okay?" Vivi asked, turning back to her employer. She still looked embarrassed by Nami's state of undress, but she didn't turn around again.

"Everything's fine," Nami assured her. "I'm just a little bored."

"Bored again?" Vivi laughed before quickly cutting herself off. "I'm sorry, Miss."

"Don't be." Nami shared a smile with the girl.

"What can I get for you, Miss?" Vivi asked. "Perhaps you'd like a book to read?"

"I'm sick of reading," Nami said, a petulant pout on her face.

"Then maybe you'd like me to get the jewels from your study?" Vivi suggested.

"No," Nami said. "I'm tired of those too."

Vivi paused a moment, thinking over her options. "Well… you never did finish that map to the mansion."

Nami sighed. Even mapmaking didn't sound appealing right now. The indescribable sensation of boredom created an itch under her skin that she couldn't scratch. She had a need for something else… but what it was, she couldn't figure out.

"Maybe… you'd like to play a game?" Vivi guessed.

"What kind of game?" Nami asked, intrigued.

"I'm not sure, but I can think of a few we can play."

"Can we play for cash?" Nami asked, a grin spreading on her face.

Vivi winced a little. "If you go easy on me?"

"Deal!" Nami stepped out of the tub. "Let me get dressed, and I'll meet you in the library."

* * *

"I win!" Nami declared, showing her winning hand to Vivi.

"Ouch." Vivi chuckled. "I'm out almost a whole week's wages now."

Nami sighed listlessly, dropping her cards onto the table. "I wouldn't really take them from you," she said, resting her chin in her hand and leaning her elbow on the table. She could feel the pull of boredom threatening to consume her again, as the thrill of their most recent attempt at play faded fast away.

This was not the first round of cards they had played in the small library, nor was it the first game they had given a go today. They had tried games like charades, word games, treasure hunt games, and had even convinced a few of the other maids to come play an outdoor game with them. Cards was the last in a long list of things they had tried today, but none of them had helped.

Nami could still feel that nagging sensation in her mind, like there was something she was supposed to be doing. It was like missing an appointment: she knew there was somewhere she needed to be, but she had forgotten where.

"Miss Nami?" Vivi called her attention back. "Would you like to play again?"

"No." Nami shook her head. Her brow furrowed as she tried to pick apart the feeling. Maybe if she focused on it long enough or hard enough she could make sense of what it was trying to tell her.

"Miss Nami?" Vivi interrupted again.

Nami turned to the maid, frustrated by her interruptions, but the girl was staring at her with concerned brown eyes. Vivi was just trying to help. She had been trying all day to cheer her up, and Nami would be heartless to reject the girl for that.

"I'm fine," she assured Vivi with a smile.

"Oh, good," Vivi said with relief. "Would you like to play something else? Or maybe we should find something else to do?"

Nami considered it for a moment: She didn't want to be cooped up anymore, that much was for sure, so maybe it would do her some good to get out of the house. She couldn't remember the last time she had gone into town since the maids had taken over all the shopping for her. She couldn't seem to recall what the town looked like, much less how to get there, and that was saying something; she was an excellent navigator.

"Vivi, could we go out?"

"Out?" Vivi repeated. "You mean outside? Of course, Miss. Perhaps you'd like to—"

"I meant out into town," Nami interrupted. "I'd like to go shopping."

Vivi frowned. "Shopping? Miss, if there is anything you need from town, I'd be happy to get it for you. There's no need for you to go yourself."

"I want to go myself," Nami said firmly. The uncomfortable, itching feeling continued to nag at her, making her need to get out more dire. "I need to get out of the house for a little bit. It will be good for me. I'd like you to accompany me though."

An unsettled look fell over Vivi's face. "I don't think that's such a good idea."

"Why not?" Nami asked in indignation, her voice rising slightly in her panic. Her hands balled into shaking fists on the tabled, and pounded against the wood in her frustration "Why shouldn't I do my own shopping?"

"Miss Nami, please calm down." Vivi raised her hands in a placating manner, her eyes wide with surprise and traces of worry.

"I'm sorry," Nami said softly. "I'm just a little stir crazy, I guess."

Vivi nodded in understanding and stood. "You are a very important person though, Miss," she said, moving to one of the bookshelves where Nami kept a small collection of compasses and log poses that she'd saved over her years of travel. A few were damaged and unusable, but they had all served her well at some point, so she kept them regardless of their functionality.

"We don't want anything bad to happen to you," Vivi continued, inspecting one of the compasses as she spoke. "It's very dangerous in town; there are crooks and vagabonds around every corner. It's not safe for someone of your status there."

"Isn't it dangerous for you also, then?" Nami asked.

"Our clothes pretty much guarantee us safety," Vivi explained, a sheepish smile on her face as she tugged self-consciously at her uniform. It was nothing remarkable: a simple pair of black slacks and a button up black shirt. Very simple but easy to move around in. "Anyone can tell we work as housekeepers or service workers, and probably don't have much value. So they usually leave us alone."

"So lend me one of your uniforms!" Nami suggested brightly. "Then they'd have no reason to single me out."

"I'd rather not." Vivi grimaced. "Miss Nami, I really don't want anything to happen to you. Please, just stay here. I'll do your shopping for you."

Nami wanted to argue, but the look on Vivi's face made it impossible. She looked earnest and concerned. Nami had only just started speaking to Vivi today, but she already considered the blue haired Alabastan girl a friend. Maybe it was only because Nami was her employer, but by the look on Vivi's face it was safe to assume she felt the same.

Nami sighed. "I just want to leave the house."

"Why would you want that?" Vivi asked, turning to Nami. "You have everything you could ever dream of right here. You created a map of the world, your wealth is beyond compare, and…" She stepped closer, taking Nami's hand in her own. "You have a friend. What more could you want?"

Nami frowned, looking into Vivi's eyes. She looked so sincere, but there was a kind of dull, rehearsed quality to the way she spoke that didn't feel right to Nami. Nami was wealthy, but the entirety of her fortune was useless if she couldn't even escape her own home for an hour. And her friend, though Vivi seemed very sweet and earnest, was someone Nami paid to come here. They wouldn't have met otherwise. Nami never met anyone new these days.

"What's the point of having all this money if I can't even spend it?" Nami asked. "What's the point of any of this if I'm just a prisoner again?"

The sound of glass shattering tore Nami from her thoughts. One of her log poses lay on the floor, the broken shards of glass glittering in the weakly filtered light. Nami watched in shock as another rolled from the shelf to join it. One by one, all of her compasses and log poses fell from the shelf.

"What's happening?" She tried to ask, but the words came out garbled and thick, the noises undistinguishable as speech.

Vivi still had a hold of her hand. Nami attempted to pull herself free, meaning to go over and see what had happened to her bookshelf, but Vivi's grip only tightened. Nami's hand was beginning to hurt because Vivi was squeezing so hard. Nami looked up to the girl, her eyes beseeching, trying wordlessly to convey her pain to the girl she thought was her friend.

Nami looked around in horror. The library windows cracked and shattered, and a strong wind ripped at the pages of books, sending them swirling around the room. Nami's hair whipped in every direction, as did Vivi's , blue and orange threading together in the whirlwind. The room was shaking as if there were an earthquake, sending bookshelves toppling over. She was afraid, and she wanted to get out of here, but Vivi wouldn't release her hand.

"Why did you say that?" Vivi asked. Her voice was oddly calm and rang out clear above the noise of the shattering glass and the swirling wind. "You aren't supposed to think that way."

"What?!" Nami managed to get the one word out, but it sounded strangely distorted and came out muffled, nearly inaudible.

"At least I still have the others."

Vivi gave her a sad look, squeezing Nami's hand so hard it might break.

* * *

Nami gasped and her eyes snapped open. She sat up immediately, throwing the covers off. What had happened? Where was she? Where was Vivi?

Her hand throbbed, and Nami hissed, cradling it against her chest rubbing at her tingling flesh. She must have fallen asleep on it, and now circulation was returning to her poor fingers.

The pain helped bring her back to reality, and she looked around the room with some surprise. It was different. The room Nami had fallen asleep in had been lavishly decorated with lush furniture, thick drapes, and a soft carpet. Everything had been clean, and the whites, creams, and oranges, had been vibrant. It had smelled faintly of tangerines, and Nami had fallen in love with it instantly. She distinctly remembered thinking that the room was truly beautiful, and collapsing happily into bed. The room Nami sat in now, however, was a far cry from the room she remembered.

She quickly pushed the dingy blankets further away in disgust, revealing a lumpy mattress grey with age. The thick drapes were moldy and hung in tatters. Rain splashed onto the windows, blurring the swirling sea that could barely be seen outside; it seemed the weather was taking a turn for the worse again.

Nami stood from the bed. The white carpet wasn't white at all; it was an awful grey-brown like the color of dust accumulated over many years. It was worn down and completely barren in some places. The furniture was moth-eaten and broken, and debris littered the floor. The room looked like it hadn't been used in at least a decade. Nami realized it matched the crumbling, broken structure of the outside of building now. She had thought it was strange the inside was so well cared for in comparison.

In the aftermath of her dream Nami was having a hard time determining what was real anymore. The island itself was obviously real, as was the hotel, at least to some extent. But what about the rest of it? Was everything that had happened last night merely an illusion?

She was _so _glad she wasn't paying for this.

"At least I still have the others."

The last words of dream-Vivi echoed around in her head. Nami's stomach sank with dread, the plight of her missing nakama suddenly the forethought of her mind. Something or someone had done something to them, was still doing something to her crew, and she didn't know what or why.

She shook her head, trying to dispel the last of the thick fog of sleep that clung to her. She didn't know what was happening, but it was safe to assume that her crew was in trouble, and she couldn't waste any more time. She needed to find them.

But the last tendrils of sleep refused to let her go. They beckoned her back to the bed, called to her subconscious for her return. It was as if something were trying to pull her back into her slumber, and back into her dream. She resolutely ignored the pulling sensation, making for the washroom instead. A quick shower would no doubt wash the remains of that feeling away.

The washroom was in no better shape than the rest of the room. Mold grew in dark clumps on the ceiling above her head, and the mirror was cracked, large pieces missing from the frame. Nami grimaced at the mold and rust stained tub before she reached out and turned the tap on. Thick reddish muck spewed from the mouth of the faucet, and a sickening metallic odor filled the air. Nami made a noise of disgust and quickly turned it off. The pipes were rusted out, she guessed. Whatever the problem was, a shower was out of the question.

She sighed, disappointed. She had been sleeping in that dirty, lumpy bed, and now she could feel the sticky sensation of it clinging to her skin. She dreaded the thought of having to spend the day like this. Maybe she could go back to the Sunny and shower before she started seeking out her nakama. It was most likely they were all sleeping right now, so they would probably be okay.

She was quick to toss that idea out the window. She couldn't leave her nakama here, not when there was obviously something up with this place. She'd have to go get them first before she showered. She took a moment to tie her hair back before deciding her next course of action.

She didn't actually know where any of her nakama were since she had been the first one to which Elizabeth had assigned a room She did recall the building went up several stories, and she remembered that the hallway to her room was long and lined with other doors the whole way. Nami estimated there had to be at least forty-five other rooms in this hotel and the realization made her groan. She seriously hoped her nakama were all close by, or it was going to be a while before she got that shower.

Nami had to force the rusted, broken hinges of the door to open wide enough to let her exit the room. The carvings on the door that had stood out so beautifully the night before were worn away or chipped off, and she had to be careful to avoid splinters.

The hallway was dark, lit only by a single dying candle in a holder on the wall. The small flickering flame threw shadows around, and provided barely enough light to illuminate the debris that lay strewn about. Pieces of glass and broken furniture made up the majority of the mess, while fragments of wood and long curls of torn wallpaper littered the floor. A layer of dust settled over the mess.

It looked as if a tornado had swept through the interior of the hotel, or perhaps the last guests had done their best to destroy the place before they left. Whatever had happened, it had happened a long time ago. The dust looked undisturbed, not even footprints left by her nakama had had displaced it.

Nami carefully edged around the broken pieces of what used to be a chair. The closest door to her own was right across the hallway, and there was no better place to start looking for her nakama than right there. She carefully treaded the debris, almost tripping on a fold of carpeting, but landed against the firm surface of the door she had been trying to reach.

The door was in better shape than her own, at least most of the carvings on it had survived. She reached for the knob and turned… only to find it locked. She tried again, twisting the other way and giving it a shake. Nothing. She huffed with annoyance. She hoped it wasn't one of her nakama in there. The lock would be a bitch to try and pick, especially with the limited supplies she had.

The door to her own room hadn't been locked though. The hinges were in poor condition and the door had been difficult to open as a result, but she had never needed to flick the lock on it. If her own room had never been locked, she had no reason to expect her nakama's would be either.

Nami continued her way down the hallway. For now, she would try some other doors, and if she found them all to be locked she'd deal with that then. Her steps were testing and careful, making for slow progress. The last thing she wanted was to trip and fall onto some of the glass that littered the floor, or to slip and twist her ankle. An injury like that could be a massive problem for her, so even if it took her all night, she'd take her time around the debris.

The faint light from the single candle faded away as Nami went, only to be replaced by the faint glow of another. The candles were the only evidence she had that the hotel was not uninhabited. The idea sent a chill up her spine.

She swallowed down a little shriek of fear as her arm brushed up against a cobweb. She took a deep breath; she couldn't panic just yet. She'd find one of the others first, preferably Zoro, Luffy, or Sanji, and then she'd allow herself to freak out.

The hallway ended at a floor to ceiling window. The glass was cracked but remained in its panes. The glass held solid beneath her fingers when she pushed against it, not budging in the slightest even where the cracks ran abundant webs throughout and it looked most fragile.

To her right was a staircase leading towards the next floor. There was no way to go but up, Nami decided, and carefully began to climb the steps. The wood protested beneath her feet, and the steps were broken in several places. She tested each step carefully as she went, making sure it wouldn't give out beneath her weight. Every step was nerve-wracking, and she nearly cried in relief when she finally reached the second floor.

The second floor was not in much better condition than the first floor, but there were less obstacles in the way. More candle sconces were mounted on the walls, giving the hallways a brighter look. Nami still picked her way carefully across the floor, even more so now that she was on the second level. She would hate to step on a rotten patch of flooring and find herself crashing back down through the first floor ceiling. Despite the abuse the hotel had taken, however, the floor seemed to hold up rather well. There was something to be said for old architecture, Nami mused.

The first door she came across had been blown off its hinges and hung askew across the open doorway. Thick boards and a pile of discarded furniture helped keep the door in place, blocking the entrance to the room. Nami peered into the blackness beyond the candlelight, trying to make out if one of her nakama were trapped inside.

She couldn't see beyond the doorway, but an icy breeze rolled out of the slight opening, caressing her face as it passed. Nami shuddered. The dark room with its untold contents was way too creepy for her. She backed away. She'd try her luck with one of the other doors on this floor. If one of her nakama were sleeping in that dark room… well, she'd find them later.

The next two doors Nami came across were locked. Just like before, the locked doors on this floor didn't even so much as budge in their frames. She glared at them. It was a useless act but she was beginning to get frustrated. She was also very creeped out, as she could still hear the occasional breeze coming from the dark room at the end of the hall. It sounded like whispers of breath, and Nami wanted nothing more than to cry and take refuge on the Sunny.

She hit a stroke of luck on the fourth door. The handle turned, and the wood groaned in complaint when she pushed against it. This door was stuck, not locked. It looked as if the wood had swelled and warped. Moisture and temperature, along with years of disuse, had changed its shape and made opening it a new kind of challenge. She took a deep breath and pushed, putting all her weight into it, trying to force the door open. The wooden door barely scraped against its frame. She huffed in agitation. She wished Zoro was here to cut it down, or Sanji to kick the door from its frame, but it was just her. She was going to have to manage on her own.

She dug through the surrounding debris for something to help. An axe would be most convenient, but she'd take anything that could knock a door down. Unfortunately, nothing looked promising, unless she tried to beat the door down with a rotting board. Not likely.

She squared off against the door again. It couldn't be impossible to open, it was just stuck. It was just going to take some brute force to get into it. Nami was strong, she could handle it, or so she told herself. She took a few steps back, then rushed at the door and threw herself against it. Her feet skidded across the rotting carpeting as she fought for purchase and pushed against the door with all she had.

The wood creaked, groaned, and with one satisfactory _pop_, the door flew open and Nami spilled into the room.


	3. Chapter 3

The village was quiet and peaceful, filled with homes that had flowers growing in pots on the window sills and in the gardens. The grass surrounding the buildings was lush and green, and she could smell the tang of salt that could only mean the ocean was nearby. In fact, the beach was fifteen degrees south from here, and if she started walking that way, she'd be there in less than ten minutes. Nami knew this because she'd been here before. This was Syrup Village.

Nami turned around to face the way she had just come. The door she had fallen through was nowhere to be seen. Instead, behind her was a nice little restaurant she, Zoro, and Luffy had visited for lunch more than two years ago. A shout echoed from inside the restaurant, and Nami watched as Usopp's little friends, the former members of his "pirate crew", spilled out the front door, tripping over themselves in their haste to escape. They were followed closely by the restaurant's proprietress, an angry frown twisted on her lips as she brandished a broomstick in a threatening manner.

The boys were, as usual, up to no good, but Nami frowned as she watched them scurrying away up the street. They looked the same as they had two years ago. Nami watched them curiously until they were out of sight, and then turned back to the restaurant. The old woman sighed irritably before turning to Nami and smiling.

"Pardon me, my dear, would you like to come in for a drink?" The woman said, standing back and gesturing toward her little establishment.

"Um…" Nami had no idea what was going on. She knew she was in the hotel, or had been at one point. The crunch of dirt under her shoes and the fresh ocean breeze threading through her hair impossibly real even though she knew they weren't.

"Excuse me," she said, approaching the woman. It had been two years since she'd seen the older woman's smiling face, but surely Syrup didn't get too many outside visitors. "Do you remember me?"

"Remember you?" The old woman stared at Nami thoughtfully.

"I was here a little more than two years ago?" Nami tried, her hands moving in small circles as he tried to recall something that might make the woman remember her, but nothing came to mind, and the woman didn't look any more enlightened.

"I'm friends with Usopp?" Nami continued.

"Oh!" The woman's confusion broke and she smiled. "I'm sorry, my dear, I don't remember you, but I'm always happy to welcome a friend of Usopp's! Come in, come in!"

Nami found herself ushered into the small restaurant and seated at the bar. A quick glance around showed her that it was exactly as it had been two years ago: nothing had changed in the slightest.

"Here you go, my dear." The woman set a glass of water in front of Nami. "Can I interest you in anything? A slice of homemade pie, perhaps? Or some coffee?"

"Uh, I don't have money," Nami admitted, patting the pocket where she usually kept a fold of bills. Nothing. She knew it had held some money before she had fallen asleep. There would be hell to pay for the bastard that stole it from her.

"Nonsense!" The woman laughed. "I wouldn't dream of charging a friend of the Great Captain Usopp!"

Nami almost spat out her water. Her hand flew to her mouth to stop herself, and it took her a moment to collect herself before she could sputter out, "Great… captain…?"

"Of course! Anything you want, my dear, it's on me." She patted Nami's hand before turning to collect some used dishes from one of the tables.

"Excuse me, ma'am?" Nami turned to face the matron. "Do you happen to know where Usopp is?" she asked. "I mean… is he here?"

"Here?" the woman repeated, looking confused. "You mean in town?"

"I mean…" Nami fumbled for some kind of explanation. "He's not out on… some kind of adventure is he?"

The woman laughed again, a warm, hearty sound. "No, no, dear," she said. "He's been back for ages. I expect he's at home with his mother right now."

"His… mother?" Nami frowned.

She never asked how or when it had happened, but she knew that Usopp's mother was dead. He'd told her once, almost in passing, not long after they'd left from _her_ village. He'd learned about Bellemere and Nami's past from Nojiko and her big mouth, so he'd shared a little of his to be fair. Nami hadn't pressed him for details. There was an unspoken rule on the ship that no one asked more than they needed to know, and Nami lived by it. But she knew Usopp had told her his mother was gone. She could never forget the broken expression on his face, or the way his voice cracked when he confessed.

"Yes, Ms. Banchina," the woman said. "They live inland on the hill over there." She pointed northeast. "Silly me, I'm sure you're excited to see the lad, and here I am holding you up."

"Yes, I am." Nami smiled, sliding off her stool. "I'm terribly sorry, perhaps I could take you up on that offer for pie later?"

"Of course!" The woman beamed. "Any time, my dear. You're always welcome here! Be sure to tell Usopp I said hello! And tell him to stop by! I haven't seen him in ages."

"I will." Nami waved goodbye to the woman as he left the restaurant, heading off for Usopp's home.

* * *

It wasn't hard to find at all. A road from town connected all the way to Usopp's house, though he lived a little ways outside of the village. On the way there, Nami went over what she had discovered so far, trying to make sense of her situation so that she could explain it to Usopp as well. Unfortunately, the more she thought about it, the more she realized that she still didn't have the slightest clue what was going on, but the thinking kept her mind busy, and for now that was enough.

This was some kind of dream, or maybe an illusion created from Usopp's memories. Usopp hadn't been back to Syrup Village since he'd left with the rest of them, so his memories of the place and the people had remained unchanged. That much was easy to figure out. But would Usopp remember her? That was harder to figure out.

In her own dream, Nami hadn't remembered anyone else. Well, she remembered Nojiko and Bellemere, but she hadn't even recognized Vivi when her friend had been sitting right in front of her, and she hadn't spared a thought to Luffy and the others. It was like their entire adventure had never happened. Thinking back on it now made her stomach twist in uneasy knots. How could she forget everything they had been through? She supposed with enough happiness shoved her way, she could turn a blind eye to the parts of her memory that had been repressed, but not for long.

Nami put those thoughts aside as she approached the house. For now she needed to focus on Usopp.

She wiped her sweaty palms on the side of her skirt before she reached the door. She didn't know why she suddenly felt so nervous, it was only Usopp beyond this door, but the situation put her on nerves on edge. She took a deep breath and tried to steady her rapidly beating heart before she knocked gently against the green painted door.

Nami's breath caught in her throat as he door swung open, revealing a beautiful woman. She looked too young to be a mother, although Nami suspected she had been young when Usopp last saw her. She looked different than Nami had expected. Her skin was pale, even lighter than Nami's, and her hair was straight and fell neatly down to her shoulders.. Usopp's skin was much darker, and his hair was always unruly and curly, but they shared the same long nose and their hair was the exact same color. There was no doubt this woman was Usopp's mother, and Nami felt herself gaping in surprise.

"Can I help you?" The woman ask with a clear, gentle voice.

"Uh, um…" Nami closed her mouth. The ability to form words was lost on her at the moment. "I'm a friend of Usopp's?"

The woman raised an eyebrow, and Nami mentally slapped herself. She should have thought up some kind of excuse in case Usopp really didn't know her, but she'd been so awe-struck she could only say the first thing that came to her mind.

"Well," Usopp's mother smiled. "You must be one of Usopp's crew members. Please come inside."

The house wasn't very big, but it was enough for two people. Nami tried to imagine Usopp growing up here alone but stopped herself. It was a painful thought. Nami knew how hard it was to be alone, and she didn't have time to go down that road either because Usopp was staring at her.

He was seated at the kitchen table next to the beautiful blonde girl Nami had met the last time she'd been here. Kaya. Nami remembered her name because she had been the one who had given them the Merry for free, and free had always been Nami's favorite price.

Usopp had one arm around Kaya's shoulders and he had been murmuring something to her before he caught sight of Nami. Whatever he had said had made Kaya blush, and her cheeks were still a light pink even now. _Oh-ho_, Nami thought. So _that's_ what Usopp dreamed about.

"Hello," Usopp greeted her. His voice was slightly stiff and formal, and Nami had never heard that voice directed towards her before. It confirmed the worst of her suspicions; Usopp didn't remember her.

"Hi," Nami greeted in return, a broad smile on her face. "It's been long time, Captain," she said. She was going to have to commit to the act she'd been putting on. It was a weak cover, especially since Usopp was looking at her suspiciously, but she had no other choice now.

For good measure, she stepped forward and hugged him, not unlike the way she had after being separated for two years. Usopp, to his credit, was polite about the whole thing, and patted her back awkwardly.

"She said she was one of your crew members, Usopp," his mother said. "You must be so happy to see her!"

"Oh, yes." Usopp gave his mother the lopsided half smile he wore when he thought one of his lies might actually work out in his favor. "Mom, this is…" he trailed off, shooting an uncertain glance towards Nami.

"I'm Nami," she said. "It's a pleasure to meet you." She meant it sincerely. Although she knew this wasn't really Usopp's mother, it was probably his memory of her, and Nami felt especially honored to have the chance to meet her.

His mother smiled sincerely. "I'm Banchina, Usopp's mother. It's an honor to meet you. I've been dying to meet the people my son sailed the world with."

"Mom," Usopp hissed.

"What? I _am_ honored. You always tell me about your adventures, so I want to know what your crew was like as well."

"Um, well…" Usopp glanced at Nami uncertainly.

"We were a wild bunch," Nami said, smiling at Banchina. "Usopp had his hands full with a crew like us, but he was a great captain!" She winked at him, and Usopp raised an eyebrow. Now that she was looking at both of them together, Nami could see Usopp looked a lot like his mother, and had picked up many of her mannerisms as well.

Banchina laughed. "It sounds like a fun time, although Usopp always makes the journey sound so dangerous."

"It had its moments," Nami agreed. "Did Usopp tell you about our trip to the sky? We battled against a god. It was a close call."

"Oh! Yes, the sky islands are some of my favorite of Usopp's stories!" his mother said.

Well. That was interesting. Usopp seemed to remember parts of their journey, even if he didn't remember Nami or the others.

Banchina continued, "Kaya likes them too, right, dear?"

Kaya smiled sweetly and nodded. Beside her, Usopp was staring at Nami in blatant disbelief. She gave him a look of her own. She and Usopp had always been fairly good at non-verbal communication, having practiced it over many meals together in the galley. She could only hope it served them well now.

Usopp's brow furrowed and he looked away. Well, maybe not.

"Oh, Nami," his mother called her attention once more. "You really must stay for dinner. I'm sure you're dying to catch up with Usopp, and I'd love to hear more of your stories!"

"Of course, that would be lovely, thank you." Nami smiled.

"Mom!" Usopp let out a strangled cry.

Banchina frowned. "Usopp? What's wrong?"

A light blush darkened Usopp's cheeks. "Uh, I was just thinking we might need some more meat if Nami is going to join us. She absolutely loves meat, goes crazy over it."

Nami raised an eyebrow. She did _not_. He was obviously mistaking her for Luffy, which was a ridiculous idea.

"So I better go get some more before the butcher closes," he continued, standing up from the table.

"Did you want me to go with you?" Kaya offered.

"No," Usopp smiled down at her. It was a look so tender that Nami almost gagged. "Nami will come with me, it's her meat anyway."

"Hey!" Nami frowned.

"Usopp," Banchina scolded. "It's not polite to treat guests that way."

Usopp smiled. "Well I figured Nami and I could catch up on the walk to the village. Don't worry, I won't make her carry anything."

Banchina's gaze softened. "Well, I suppose the two of you must have a lot to talk about."

Usopp gave Nami a look, and she quickly caught on. "That sounds great," she agreed with a smile. "Are you ready to go now, Captain?"

Usopp nodded, stepping away from the table. Nami expected him to make for the door, but he detoured at the last second.

"I'll be back," he said to his mother, kissing her on the cheek before he went.

Nami watched the scene with an uneasy feeling in her stomach. Usopp looked so happy like this. He seemed different than she was used to. It was as if having his mother around made him braver somehow. But none of this was real. Usopp's mother was gone, and Nami was going to have to be the one to remind him.

* * *

Outside the house, Usopp didn't say a single word. They followed the path back to the village in silence. Nami could have broken that silence herself, but she wasn't even sure where to begin, and after seeing Usopp with his mom, she felt hesitant. There didn't seem to be any immediate danger threatening her friends, so she wondered if maybe he could stay here just a little longer. She was in no hurry to pull Usopp from his mother again, not just yet.

It was Usopp that finally broke the silence between them.

"Who the heck are you?" he asked. "And how did you know all that stuff?"

Nami took a deep, shaky breath. This was it then, it was time to come clean to him.

"Like I said, we're on the same crew," she said.

"What?" Usopp frowned. "I've never seen you before in my life!"

"Well not in this life, no," Nami agreed.

Usopp's brow furrowed in confusion and silence fell between them again. Nami wasn't sure she was getting anywhere this way. At this rate, he'd only be more confused, and at the end of the day she'd be stuck here in Usopp's dreams and memories.

"Did you travel the world?" Nami asked curiously.

"What? Yeah, of course I did," Usopp scoffed. "I'm a brave warrior of the seas! The Great Captain Usopp!" He puffed his chest out proudly.

"You aren't the captain though," Nami muttered, shaking her head.

"What?" Usopp's gaze snapped to her.

"You're not the captain," she said a little louder, "Luffy is."

"Luffy?" Usopp repeated the name of his captain, his friend, like it was a foreign word, but there was some glinting of recognition in his eyes.

"Yeah, do you remember him?" Nami asked.

Usopp grimaced like he had a bad headache. "No," he said.

"Oh."

They lapsed into silence again. They were almost to the village now, and Nami felt like there was a ticking clock hanging over her head; not for Usopp but for herself. If they made it back to Usopp's house, her resolve would crumble again. She wouldn't be able to pull her friend away from the mother he obviously missed and loved. She'd lose her opportunity here.

"You know, Usopp." She stopped walking, and he turned around to face her with a frown. "You're going to have to wake up eventually."

"What?" He said, his eyes narrowing.

"I mean you can't be this oblivious," she said, her voice a little louder. "I thought you were smarter than to fall for something like this."

"Something like _what_?"

"You of all people should know this isn't real."

Usopp froze. "This isn't real?"

"Yeah," Nami lowered her eyes. She could feel the ground trembling beneath her feet, just slightly. "And you know it, right? Hasn't something felt off to you?"

"I…" Usopp closed his mouth.

The earthquake beneath their feet grew stronger.

"I'm sorry, Usopp," Nami said sadly. "About your mom, Kaya… all of this."

Nami staggered as the earth shook. She managed to keep her balance, widening the stance of her feet and weighing her balance between them. It was like balancing on a pitching ship in a thunderstorm, difficult, but familiar. A wide crack formed in the road, running a jagged path between their legs. Their eyes followed the progress of the crack, until just as suddenly as it began, it stopped.

"Oh," Usopp said.

In the silence left behind Usopp's single note of realization, the earth began to crumble away from the edges of the crack, making it widen like a gaping mouth, threatening to swallow anything trapped between its teeth. Nami tried to avoid it, jumping back as the earth crumbled under her foot. Usopp moved too, but it wasn't long before they both lost their footing, and with equally high pitched squeals, they tumbled into the dark abyss below.

Nami gasped, lurching upwards. Her hand knocked against a broken board and she hissed in pain, pushing the board away with a frustrated shove. She could hear Usopp sputtering from somewhere behind her. She twisted around to see him sitting on the bed, breathing heavily and examining his limbs for damage. When he found none, he put his hand over his chest and sighed with relief.

"Your wake up was worse than mine," Nami commented sympathetically.

Usopp's attention snapped to her and his eyes widened. He tore his gaze away, his eyes darting around the room, taking in the state of disrepair.

"Oh yeah," Usopp said quietly. "It was a dream."

Nami clambered back to her feet, but didn't know what to do next. She watched Usopp curl in on himself as the last details of his dream faded and real memories took its place. She swore she could see tears in his eyes, but tried not to look.

She busied herself by taking in the state of the room instead. Usopp's room was different than her own. Instead of plush, designer furniture, the room was decorated with wooden pieces that looked as if they had been taken directly from a tree. I few animal heads were mounted on the wall, though a thick coat of dust covered their surfaces, and moths had made quick work of their hides. The carpeting looked like it had once been an earthy green, and the wallpaper seemed to have once been yellow, but time had made their colors sickly so that both resembled various shades of vomit. Nami cringed. Above them, a chandelier made of woven tree branches seemed to be the only remotely attractive thing in the room, though it wasn't in much better shape. Some of the branches had broken off, leaving bald patches in the fixture.

Turning her attention back to Usopp, Nami could see that his eyes were dry again, though he sniffled a few more times than was normal. He rubbed at his nose quickly to silence those as well.

"Why did you have to wake me up?" Usopp asked. He didn't look her way, but Nami could hear the bite of accusation in his tone.

"It was just a dream, Usopp," Nami said, softly.

"So?" Usopp frowned, shooting her a look. "It was a good dream, why couldn't you have let me keep dreaming?"

"For how long?" Nami asked. "Another hour? Two? Look around you, Usopp. Something isn't right here." She gestured to the sickly-looking stained walls, and the rotting, half-eaten animal heads.

Usopp did look around, with some surprise, at the state his room. Nami assumed this was not how it had looked when he had fallen asleep, just as hers had not been.

"I don't think that dream was just a coincidence, yours or mine. I think there's something up with this hotel."

Usopp didn't reply. Instead, he fixed her with an expression that threatened to tear her apart. It was hollow eyed, broken, and too reminiscent of the expression he'd worn the first time he'd told her about his mom – the expression she swore she never wanted to see on his face again.

"My mom was there, Nami," Usopp said. He didn't sound angry. His voice was hollow. "I got to tell her all about our adventures and I got to show her how brave I was."

"Those weren't our adventures," Nami said sadly. "You didn't even know who I was. You didn't know who Luffy was… I'm sure you didn't remember the others either."

Usopp's brow furrowed, but he didn't argue. Another silence lapsed between them, this one more uncomfortable than the last. Nami felt as if she should say something more, continue explaining to Usopp why being awake was more important than his dream, but she couldn't find the words. Her mouth opened a few times, but always closed again, and finally she gave up trying. Instead, she dusted off the seat of one of the wooden chairs that still appeared to be in good shape, and sat down, leaning against the backrest. She let her eyes fall closed, using the darkness behind her eyelids as refuge for a moment.

Finally, Usopp pulled himself off the bed. Nami cracked her eyes and watched him as he stretched, popping a few stiff joints, and rubbed absently at his stomach.

"I'm hungry," he commented.

Nami turned to look at him, it seemed his previous mood had vanished without a trace, and he was looking around the room with a mixture of trepidation and confusion. Nami knew better though. Usopp could be a very good liar when he wanted to be. She wasn't about to push the issue right now, however; they had a bigger problem on their hands.

"I don't think you'll find anything to eat here," she said, standing as well. She glanced at the mold and dust that had settled on the walls. "I'm terrified to know what the kitchen looks like."

Usopp winced. "Yeah. What happened in here anyway?" he asked. "This room was really nice when I fell asleep."

"I think this is how it always was," Nami said. "Remember how the outside looked? I thought it was weird the inside was in such good shape. I guess we know the truth now."

"So, what?" Usopp kicked a broken fragment of furniture away. "Was the nice hotel just an illusion too?"

"I think so," Nami agreed.

"Why?" Usopp asked. He approached the door. It was still open, just how Nami had left it when she'd fallen through and into Usopp's dream. He peeked out into the hallway, his face twisting into a look of disgust before he shook his head and turned back to her. "What's the point of keeping us here?"

Nami frowned. "I don't know, Usopp," she said. "I'm just as confused as you are."

"Come on, Nami," Usopp said, his voice just a little sharper than normal. "I know you have at least a few ideas already."

"A few," she conceded, not quite meeting his gaze. He knew her too well by now. "But nothing I can prove."

"Let's hear it," he said, pulling up a chair and sitting in it. He didn't even look before he sat, and Nami could see the small puff of dust that came from the chair with the movement.

Nami sighed. She hated giving out theories with so little to go on. It meant that later she would look foolish if she ended up being wrong. But she supposed now wasn't really the time for matters of pride, and besides, this was Usopp. He knew her better than anyone. He was her best friend, and he wouldn't laugh at her for making a guess at a time like this.

"I think this hotel might be kind of…" she trailed off, feeling stupid even as the words left her lips. "Alive."

"Alive?" Usopp repeated. There was the barest hint of disbelief in his voice. He masked the rest well, giving Nami a moment to explain herself.

"In a sense," Nami clarified. "I'm not sure how, exactly. That part I'm still working on, but this whole thing kind of reminds me of one of your plants. Your whatever-trap ones."

"My midori boshi devil traps?" Usopp frowned.

"Whatever." Nami waved it off. "But I think it's like those. We got lured in with the promise of something sweet, and then they tried to trap us with something even sweeter by giving us everything we could ever want."

Usopp's gaze darkened and for a moment his eyes were not on her at all. For one moment, his expression was almost chilling, but it passed as quickly as it had come, and he asked, "but why bother?"

"Well," Nami said, biting her lip, "this is where I'm not so sure. But I think we're kind of like… food."

"Food?!" Usopp's voice broke.

"Yeah, I think— I'm not sure— but I think that the hotel is using us as a source of energy," Nami said.

Usopp swallowed and his knees shook. "That's really bad," he whimpered. "Why would a building need food?"

"I don't know," Nami admitted. "I haven't been able to figure it out yet, and I might be wrong but…"

"But we should get the others and get out of here as soon as possible, right?"

"Right."

Usopp stood, dusting off the seat of his overalls. "Alright, then I guess we should get moving," he said, but he didn't move. "You first."

Nami scoffed. "There's nothing scary out there," she said. "You coward."

"Excuse you!" Usopp frowned, raising his voice. "The Great Captain Usopp is _not_ a coward! I was simply abiding by the code, 'ladies first'."

Nami snorted but led the way regardless. She paused just at the doorway of the room.

"By the way," she added. "Avoid that room with no door. Something isn't right about it." And with that she saw herself out of the room.

"'Something isn't right about it'?" Usopp repeated, confused. "Oi! Nami!" He called, scrambling to follow after her. "What do you mean 'something isn't right about it'? What's not right about it?"

Nami ignored his cries, taking a few steps up the hallways without him. She could hear him tripping over himself to catch up, and had to put a hand to her lips to keep himself from laughing. She turned just in time to watch him half-falling out of the room, pulling the bedroom door shut behind him. It closed easily with a final click.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** I am so very very sorry. I did not forget this story. My computer has been a major pain in my rear lately (it's on the last legs of its poor old life) and I haven't had the patience or the time to try and get this story published. I am going to be more diligent about it though, I promise. This story if finished, the hard part is really done, I just gotta get my act together and post it.

There will be a couple of updates today to make up for it. And again I'm sorry.

* * *

It had been strange, walking in Usopp's dream world. A world where she did not exist, where Luffy and the others did not exist. It felt so strange… and invasive. The uneasy feeling of guilt had weighed in her stomach. She had seen something private, something sacred, and she had shattered it as well. She knew what she did was necessary. She couldn't leave Usopp or any of the others behind here, but it didn't make the guilty feeling go away.

For the first time since she'd woken up alone in this creepy, run down hotel, Nami could feel the pain of loss and hopelessness sinking into her bones. The feeling had not set in immediately, rather it seemed to sink into her little by little as she made her way through the hotel, but it had grown into something that made her stomach turn. She had felt when she landed on the manmade sky island after Kuma sent her flying. It felt like her bones ached, like something deep inside of her, something important to the construction of who she was, _hurt_. It wasn't entirely noticeable at first, because it wasn't like a flesh wound or even like some kind of internal damage. It was like her very framework had been shaken from its foundations and threatened to crumble into nothingness. She had never wanted to feel anything like that again, but the feeling had crept up on her when she wasn't paying attention.

Having Usopp by her side made the feeling more bearable. She still didn't feel right, she expected she wouldn't feel right again until they were all safe and sailing away from this island, but at least she wasn't alone.

The hotel was creepy. Large cobwebs hung from the ceiling, and broken pieces of furniture hinted at the presence of spiders Nami never wanted to meet. The floor creaked under their feet from time to time, and Nami was afraid it would collapse in on them, but thankfully it never did.

Neither of them were very brave, at least not the way the others were, but here were the two of them stuck having to help the others. It almost wasn't fair. Usopp started with every sound. He would jump with every moaning floorboard, and when Nami accidentally stepped on a shard of glass he shot into the air. His overreaction to every little thing made her laugh despite the hotel's disturbing atmosphere.

"Nami," Usopp whined, giving her a hurt look. "Don't laugh at me."

Nami suppressed her giggle behind her hand. "Sorry," she said.

Usopp didn't look like he believed her, but continued to lead the way down the hall.

Nami had led them to the third floor almost immediately. She had already checked most of the doors on the second floor before she found Usopp, and besides, she'd already noticed a pattern. There was very little evidence to support her guess, but she was going to risk it anyway.

They could have split up and checked the doors separately and would have covered the whole hallway in far less time than it had taken Nami by herself, but Nami and Usopp stuck together as they checked the doors one by one. It was better that way. There was safety in numbers, Nami reasoned. But she knew that was only an excuse. Truthfully, it just made her feel better to stay near Usopp. They were the only ones left of their crew; he was all she had left of her family. She could feel their loss with her very being, and he helped ease the ache.

Usopp reached for the first knob with a shaky hand. Nami didn't tease him for the way his fingers trembled, she felt hers doing the same, though maybe not for the same reason.

But of course, the door was completely locked up, like the others Nami had tried. There was probably no one in that room. With a sigh, Usopp released the knob.

"What do we do?" he asked.

"Try another door." Nami shrugged. "I haven't been bothering with the locked ones. If we need to try and figure them out later, we will, but for now…"

"For now let's try the unlocked ones, yeah." Usopp nodded and moved to the next door.

Now that Nami had a moment to notice, she realized the doors of the hallway were laid out in an irregular pattern. There were five doors on each floor, but their positions in the hall suggested that all the rooms had different sizes. Strange for a hotel. She would have expected all the rooms to be near replicas of each other. It was cheaper and easier to build them that way. Some fancier places might have a few fancier rooms, but they usually weren't located on the third floor, and they usually didn't make rooms on the same floor so much smaller to accommodate the larger ones.

This place was strange.

They approached the door across the hall. Usopp puffed out his chest as they went, as if doing so would make him braver and give him more confidence to go in. With every step, however, his bravado faded.

"What do you think we'll find in the next room?" Usopp asked.

"I don't know," Nami said quietly. "I guess it depends on whose room it is." And what their dream was, but Nami left that unsaid.

Usopp laughed. "I hope it's Zoro's. I wanna see what Zoro dreams about."

Nami pursed her lips. She didn't know how to tell Usopp that he was wrong. He didn't want to see, and he wouldn't want to break it. It didn't feel right. But she couldn't explain that properly, so she kept her mouth shut.

As they reached the next door, Nami saw something move out of the corner of her eye. Her head whipped around, ready to confront whatever was there, but the hallway was empty. Her eyes scanned the surroundings, trying to see if anything had changed. Maybe whatever it was had hidden behind a broken piece of furniture. But nothing was out of place.

"Nami?" Usopp asked.

Nami startled when he spoke. He was giving her a curious look, one that spoke to her without words. _What's wrong? What did you see?_

"Nothing," she said. "Sorry, I just thought I saw something moving out of the corner of my eye."

"This place gives me the creeps." Usopp nodded, as if the answer was that simple. "It's going to start playing tricks on our minds. Anyway, you ready?" His hand was resting on the doorknob.

"Yeah." She nodded.

She cast one more look back at the first door they had stopped at. She had sworn she had seen the shape come from that room, but that didn't make any sense. The door remained closed and firmly locked, and there had been no noise when the shadowy figure had made its move. Not to mention, nothing around the door looked at all disturbed. The only footprints in the thick dust were their own.

The click of the door in front of her made her turn back around. With a forceful push, the door swung open, and after sharing a brief look, Usopp and Nami stepped inside together.

* * *

The space was too small, too tight even for two people to stand in. Nami could feel something jabbing into her back, and small pieces of something under her feet scrapped and snapped as she and Usopp tried to escape their tiny prison.

"Wait – hold on… let me just…" Usopp reached around her, his arms finding something behind her, and then suddenly the small closet was bright.

Nami stumbled out of the doorway, tripping over her own feet and Usopp's, nearly falling. She only barely managed to catch herself at the last minute. Usopp was not so lucky. With an amusing wail, he went sprawling, landing face first onto the polished wooden floor below.

Nami righted herself and looked around the room. She froze. There were four pairs of eyes staring at her in a mixture of shock and disbelief.

"Um, hello," Nami said nervously. "Sorry about this."

The expressions on the faces did not change.

Usopp sprang up quickly, having recovered from his fall. He dusted the invisible dirt from his clothes and opened his mouth to speak but froze when he finally noticed his surroundings.

"_Franky?!_" Usopp shouted in a tone of disbelief.

Their cyborg friend quirked an eyebrow. "Uh, do I know you, bro?" he asked.

The other people in the room looked from Franky to Nami and Usopp with confusion. All but one of them were seated at a table, a delicious looking spread of food laid out before them. Nami could feel her stomach gurgle and placed a hand on it to silence the noise.

The last person was half way between the stove and the table, a baking dish full of food in her hands. Nami knew her, though she almost didn't recognize her. The Kokoro that had saved them back in Enies Lobby was an older, rounded woman who smelled of alcohol. This Kokoro was slimmer, her hair was tamed down, and she looked young. She didn't look much older than Robin.

But both the Kokoro Nami had known and the Kokoro she was seeing now wore the same jovial smile, even as surprise widened her eyes.

Nami looked to the other members of the party. Iceberg, the mayor of Water 7 was staring back at them from beside Franky. There was no recognition in his eyes, though he didn't look any different than he had the last time Nami had seen him.

Across from Franky was a man Nami did not recognize. Nami didn't need to see the spare gills on his neck to recognize that he was a fishman. His body was too large to be a normal human, and his skin was a light yellow color. He wore a bandana on his head, his hair a puff of white secured into a ponytail, his curly beard and mustache set to match. The shocked expression on his face was fading to one of amusement as he looked between the new comers and Franky.

"Friends of yours, Franky?" The man laughed, a deep, powerful sound. "You didn't have to hide them in the closet."

"Yeah, there was no need to be so rude, Bakanky," Iceberg added in snidely.

"Shut up! Aho-berg! I don't even know them!" Franky retorted.

They sounded like children arguing, Nami realized. Like siblings. Everything about this was strange.

"Franky, Iceberg," Kokoro scolded before looking back to Nami and Usopp. "Well, whoever they are, they look starved. Why don't you join us for dinner?"

Usopp's slacked jaw worked uselessly around soundless words. Nami suppressed a sigh.

"We'd love to," she said.

Kokoro and the large fishman left to find them chairs, and Nami and Usopp waited in an uncomfortable silence with Franky and Iceberg. Franky was eyeing them warily, as if he were suspicious of them. Nami couldn't blame him, she'd probably feel the same way if she had watched two strangers who claimed to know her fall out of the closet.

But Franky didn't say anything, and soon enough Kokoro and the fishman Nami didn't know were back, with two more chairs in tow.

"You're just in time." Kokoro laughed. "Dinner only just started."

Nami took a seat between Iceberg and the unknown fishman, with Usopp in between him and Kokoro. Neither of them sat very close to Franky, but given the looks the cyborg was giving them, Nami wasn't sorry about it.

Usopp looked completely blown away by the whole situation. Nami would have thought that, given his own experience, he would have some idea what was going on here. At least enough of an idea to not look so lost. But she supposed walking in someone else's dream _was_ completely different than walking in your own.

These people in Franky's dream were obviously important to their friend. Nami had known Franky and Iceberg were related in some way; the teamwork they used to build the Thousand Sunny seemed to be something special. But the events on the judiciary island hadn't left Nami much time to wonder about Franky's past, and after they were reunited with Robin and Usopp, Nami had forgotten to wonder about it at all.

Besides, there was an unspoken rule on their ship: no one asked each other about their pasts. That dragged up too many painful memories. Who they were in the past didn't change who they were now, so why did it matter if they knew each other's pasts or not? It didn't, and until recently, Nami had no problems with that rule.

Now, however, she kind of wish she had asked.

"Here, my dear, have a plate," the younger Kokoro said, sliding a plate heaping with food in front of her. "You're too skinny. It's good to keep your girlish figure, but even better to stay healthy like me!"

Nami forced a laugh, but it sounded strange and hollow. She coughed, hoping the others wouldn't notice, and picked up her fork. The food looked and smelled amazing, and she really was starving. She hadn't eaten since the feast… last night? Nami had no idea. It could have been just the night before, or it could have been the day before. It was impossible to say how long these dreams lasted. But she didn't need to tell time to know she was hungry; her stomach made that much obvious.

She eagerly picked up her fork and dug in with the others. She slipped the first bite into her mouth… and tasted nothing. It might as well have been air in her mouth. She couldn't even properly feel the consistency of the food as she chewed and swallowed.

On the other side of the big fishman, Nami heard Usopp make a half-strangled sound. It wasn't just her then.

"Is something wrong?" Kokoro asked.

The big fishman laughed. "The boy just took too big a bite. A man knows how to eat – with a don!"

A large webbed hand crashed none too gently between Usopp's shoulder blades, and Nami could tell by the way Usopp winced that the friendly pat on the back was not entirely appreciated.

"Tom-san, be nice to our guests." Kokoro frowned.

Usopp and Nami exchanged a look across Tom's belly. Silent assurance passed between them, and they took their next bite together, ignoring that it was entirely tasteless and not at all the consistency it was supposed to be. They continued to eat their meal in silence.

Nami could feel Iceberg and Franky's eyes on her as she ate. Franky didn't concern her much, but Iceberg made her nervous. He was an intelligent man, she knew, and his calculating gaze on them made her uneasy. She and Usopp were not supposed to be here. These were Franky's inner thoughts. And if there was one person in this room that might be able to realize there was something not right about Nami and Usopp's presence, it was Iceberg.

Nami continued to eat her food like nothing was wrong.

Franky looked different, she noted. He was lacking the familiar bulk of machinery, making him seem smaller than she was used to. He still had his metal nose though.

Franky was staring between her and Usopp with something akin to suspicion. It was sad, she thought, Franky was their friend, and she would have never expected him to express distrust towards them. How many times had he led them in a dance or attempted to accompany Brook with his guitar? But here, in his dream, he didn't even seem to like the looks of them.

There wasn't any conversation during the meal; they were too busy bickering over food. The familiar cadence of people fighting over food let Nami relax a little. She wasn't sure what kind of lie she could tell if they had been intent on questioning them. Franky was different from Usopp, and wouldn't hesitate to call her on her bluff, so she needed to think up a good excuse for having fallen out of their closet in the middle of what looked to be a family meal.

When the last of the potatoes had been won by Iceberg and scooped onto his plate, Kokoro stood from the table and started clearing off the plates. Nami waited for the inevitable question, sure it would come up first in the post dinner conversation, but to her surprise, the three men stood without a word.

Tom seemed to pause for only a moment to consider both her and Usopp. "The boys and I are off to finish a ship, do either of you know anything about shipwrighting?"

Nami and Usopp exchanged a brief glance.

"I do," Usopp offered, a shaky hand raising into the air. He cleared his throat. "Uh, not much. I was… an apprentice."

He glanced at Franky while he said these words. They were sort of true, in a way. Usopp was a bit of handy man, and he had always been the one to repair the Merry when she took damage. He hadn't been very good at it at the time, but ever since Franky joined them, Usopp had been learning more and more. He wasn't the shipwright that Franky was, but he had picked up a few things. Franky was Usopp's teacher and his friend, and it was hard to witness the indifference Franky seemed to feel towards him now.

"Excellent!" Tom boomed. "We'll be glad to have an extra pair of hands!"

"I'll help here," Nami offered to Kokoro. "If you don't mind."

"Of course not!" Kororo laughed.

Nami and Usopp looked at each other one more time before Usopp was ushered outside with the others. His eyes were wide, but he didn't look as afraid as he was acting. He had no reason to be. He was going to work on a ship with Franky, just like any other day. Nami's eyes moved to Franky. He looked to be in a much better mood than he had been at dinner. The prospect of building a ship seemed to lighten his mood. Usopp would be fine for a while.

The kitchen was quiet after the men left, and only the sound of running water broke the silence. Kokoro washed a plate under the steaming flow, and passed it off to Nami when she was done. Nami took up a spare towel and started drying.

"So where did you meet Franky?" Kokoro asked. "Are you one of the kids from the city?"

Nami's fingers slipped a little on the plate she was drying, but she managed to catch it before it fell. There was the question she was hoping she could get away with not being asked. Nami's mind flew through the possibilities. What lie could she tell?

Nami glanced over at Kokoro. Once upon a time, this woman had saved her life. Well, not this Kokoro. Another Kokoro, and older version, had saved her life. Nami looked back at the plate in her hands. She didn't wonder anymore why the Kokoro she knew drank so much.

There was no Tom in the real world. At least, not anymore.

"Uh, yeah," Nami said. She decided to go along with Kokoro's assumption. "Franky helped protect a very dear friend of mine," she said.

Kokoro smiled, a large, toothy smile. "He's got a bad mouth, but he's a good boy."

"Yeah," Nami agreed with a smile, "Franky is great."

Kokoro asked Nami more about herself after that, but it was easier to lie about herself than it was to make up something about another person. In fact, Nami didn't even have to lie so much as bend and stretch the truth a little.

Nami was drying the last dish when Kokoro turned and propped her hip against the counter. She was facing Nami, a knowing look in her eyes.

"So when were you going to tell me you and your friend were pirates?"

Nami froze, her eyes widening. She had underestimated the mermaid. And here she had thought Iceberg was the one she needed to watch out for.

"I'm not – I mean – What are you – How did you know?" Nami sputtered. There was no point in lying further, she decided. Kokoro wouldn't be fooled that easily.

"Tom-san meets them all the time," Kokoro said, nodding her head toward the window. "He'd build a ship for anyone who asked. Even the pirate king."

Nami's eyes widened.

"I've seen your sort before," Kokoro continued. "Though that still doesn't answer how you know Franky. Maybe you're related to his parents?"

"His parents?" Nami's curiosity was getting the better of her, but she tried to keep it at bay. She wasn't here to be nosey about her nakama's past, she was here to wake her nakama up.

"No," she said. "I don't know his parents."

"Hmm," Kokoro hummed. Nami wasn't sure if the woman believed her or not.

"Well, anyway." Kokoro picked up the stack of clean plates to put them away. "If it's a secret, we won't tell."

"Thank you," Nami said.

Kokoro laughed. "No need for that. Now tell me, would you like to stay the night?"

* * *

Nami and Usopp shared the back room of the Tom's Workers home. Nami didn't complain, though it seemed strange to have her room with a man. Usopp was the only one here besides her that knew this wasn't reality. She felt better being nearer to him, actually.

Usopp had fallen asleep almost before he lay down. He and the others hadn't come back in until late into the night. Kokoro assured Nami that this was normal: the others usually continued construction by lantern light for as long as they could. Apparently real ship building turned out to be exhausting for poor Usopp.

Nami had let Kokoro tell her stories for most of the night, and even shared a few of her own. She was careful to keep the descriptions of their crew vague. She didn't want to accidently let something slip about Franky. She didn't want to upset the dream version of Kokoro. It was not Kokoro's dream she needed to shatter.

She glanced across the room to Usopp. He was snoring, just slightly. Not as loudly as Zoro or Luffy sometimes did, but he was snoring nevertheless. Would he have snored when he was asleep and walking in his own dream? Had she snored? She blushed slightly, though there was nothing to be embarrassed about.

Despite the exhaustion that seeped into her bones, Nami lay awake, staring up at the plain wooden ceiling in the darkness. She wasn't sure what would happen to them if she fell asleep. Inside Franky's dream, she might be safe.

She wasn't sure how this whole dream thing worked, and until she knew for sure she refused to let herself drift off to sleep. So Nami would stay awake, and she would drag Usopp from his sleep again if she needed to.

The creaking of floorboards made her freeze. A shadow broke the weak stream of light that was filtering under the door to their room. Someone was there. She wished she had her climatact with her, but she had woken up in her hotel room without it. She glanced quickly around the room looking for some weapon for self-defense, anything that would –

The door creaked open slowly.

Light spilled through the open doorway, broken by the figure standing there. The room was absolutely silent for a minute. Usopp wasn't snoring anymore. He hadn't been as deeply asleep as Nami had thought. Maybe she wasn't the only one on her guard.

The person in the doorway moved into the room with slow, heavy steps that weighed down the floorboards and made them groan in complaint. They shut the door behind them, slowly, quietly. Strange popping noises filled the air. Knuckles cracking, Nami realized. She swallowed back her uneasiness.

"I don't know either of you," said Franky's voice. He spoke in hushed tones. "So you better get talking and have a damn good reason for why I shouldn't send you packing."

Nami peeked over the edge of the blanket. Franky was staring down at them, looking from Usopp to Nami, one fist poised threateningly in his hand. Nami had forgotten about how intimidating Franky could look when he wanted to. She was used to his soft-hearted, silly side. She forgot this was the man that had beat Usopp to a bloody pulp and left him sobbing in the streets of Water 7.

Her stomach turned at the memory.

She opened her mouth to speak. What she was going to say, she didn't know yet, but she would come up with something. She tried to remind herself that Franky wouldn't hurt her. Franky was fiercely protective of his family and friends, but he wasn't a bad guy. Usopp and Nami looked suspicious right now. Franky was probably thinking of his family's safety.

Just as she was about to say something, the blankets on Usopp's bed shifted, and he sat up. He sighed, the kind of sigh that sounded heavy and put upon, like Franky's behavior was that of a small child stepping out of line.

"Franky," Usopp said, addressing their friend. "Why doesn't that ship have a docking system?"

Usopp's question caught Franky off guard.

"A… what?" Franky asked, looking at Usopp like he was crazy. Nami was looking at Usopp that way too. She had no idea what he was thinking.

"You made the blueprints, right? That's what Tom said. So where is the docking system? And why is the canon bay so small?"

"I…" Franky paused. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"And you really didn't think to make a pulley system for the anchor? I thought pulling the anchor by hand was a thing of the past."

Now Franky was really looking at Usopp like he'd grown a third head.

"What kind of ship has a pulley system for the anchor?" Franky asked, incredulous. "That's impractical. A normal anchor for a ship that size would snap the cables or it would be too light too hold the ship. Either way, it's pointless."

"Mine does," Usopp said. "And it's not impractical, you're just not thinking in the right shapes or materials."

Franky snorted but didn't look like he was dismissing what Usopp was saying. He looked a little… curious.

Nami sat up, but didn't say anything to interrupt the two men. Usopp seemed to have something up his sleeve.

"I made the blue prints, sure," Franky shrugged. "Tom helped me. He's the world's greatest shipwright. He made the ship the Pirate King sailed on. What could you possibly know better than Tom?"

Usopp smirked. "I know, because I've sailed on the ship the future Pirate King sails on."

Franky snorted again. "Oh yeah? Well then, what's this future Pirate King's ship look like?"

Usopp wore the smile he always did when he was about to launch into a story he was especially proud of. He sat straighter against the wall, a storyteller's best pose, he would say, and began to talk about their ship.

"It's a huge ship, bigger than any on all the blues! It makes its enemies cower and acts as a beacon for its—"

"Usopp, tell it right," Nami interrupted. "It's a brig sloop," she said to Franky.

Usopp deflated a little, but he continued. "It's an amazing ship. We have the soldier dock system, each dock has its own important tool in it. You can change the dock number at the helm, and the anchors can be lowered or raised at the helm really easily, too. It's got cannons on all sides, and the crow's nest is closed in with windows and a roof. It makes taking watch a lot less miserable, but Zoro stays up there the most because that's where all his weights are."

"Zoro?" Franky asked.

"Y-yeah," Usopp faltered. He looked a little hopeful that Franky might have recognized the name. "He's one of our crew. Our swordsman."

"Oh." Franky frowned. "Go on."

Nami had been watching Franky very carefully. He didn't seem to recognize Zoro's name at all, but that wasn't really surprising. She and Usopp were sitting right in front of him, and he didn't recognize them at all. However, there was something there. Some kind of glint in his eyes. A shipwright's curiosity, maybe, but there was something more to it.

"Well, everyone kind of has their own area. Zoro works out in the crow's nest, and Sanji spends most of his day in the kitchen. Chopper has the sick bay, and Robin loves the library. Brook spends a lot of time in the aquarium bar, probably because Nami yelled at him for making too much noise on the deck—"

Nami narrowed her eyes at Usopp who swallowed thickly.

"Uh, anyways. Nami has the chartroom. I have my factory, right next to your workshop, and—"

"My workshop?" Franky's stared at Usopp, waiting for him to correct the mistake.

"Oh, right, sorry," Usopp shook his head, chuckling a little. He was quick to correct himself. "I meant, our shipwright's workshop. He develops weapons and stuff down there."

There was definitely something there, and it grew the more Usopp described the ship. _Recognition._ This might have been a world where Franky had never build the Thousand Sunny, but that didn't mean he didn't think about it. The Sunny was a design Franky had come up with himself, and somewhere in his mind he still knew it was his.

"It's an amazing ship," Usopp confessed. "I loved our old ship. It was mine, and it was a great ship."

His voice wavered a little as he talked about Merry. Nami could feel her chest constrict a little. The Going Merry had meant so much to her, and to all of them, but she meant the most to Usopp.

"But the Sunny is a great ship too," he continued.

Franky's brow furrowed. He looked troubled, or maybe confused. Outside, Nami could hear the wind picking up.

"How does it run," Franky asked. "Sounds like a hell of a lot of fuel."

Usopp laughed and waved his hand as if he were brushing the idea away. "It runs on cola. It's a heck of a lot cheaper than any other kind of fuel, and we really only need a lot of it for the Coup de Burst."

"The Coup de Burst?"

"Yeah." Usopp nodded. "It uses a lot of fuel, but it can fire us into the air and can keep us in the air for one kilometer. It's gotten us out of some tough binds."

Franky didn't say anything to that. In fact, he seemed to be lost in thought. He was looking at Usopp as if Usopp were insane, but Nami could see the gears of his mind whirling into high speed. Almost there, almost.

"What's the matter, Franky?" Usopp asked, a sly grin on his face. "Does it sound familiar?"

There was a loud _crack_, and Nami and Usopp both jerked to face the window in the back of the room. The glass inside one pane was cracked, a spider web effect spreading throughout, making the light of the moon ripple.

"Usopp!" Nami said, her tone urgent.

Usopp didn't respond. Instead, he looked back at Franky. Franky didn't seem to have heard the noise.

"Well, Franky?" Usopp said. The wind outside was picking up, howling through the cracks on the glass. Usopp had to raise his voice a little to be heard. "Does it sound like your dream ship?"

Another crack, another pane shattered. And then another after that.

Franky glanced at the window, seeming to notice the damage for the first time. Then he looked back to Usopp, realization dawning on him.

"I built the ship," Franky said.

The window shattered completely. The force of the wind outside sucked the glass away, leaving a gaping hole in the wall. The wind was so strong, it threatened to suck the trio out into the storm beyond. Nami heard Usopp shouting, but she was too busy scrambling for purchase, her nails clawing desperately at the floor boards, trying to keep herself rooted down.

The wind pulled harder. Nami shrieked as one of her nails tore, the pain burning like fire down her hand.

She lost her hold.

* * *

Nami and Usopp sat some distance away from Franky. They didn't speak to each other, they let the room fall silent.

Franky had woke up, panting and sweating and looking like he'd lost something very important to him. Of course he had. He had looked at Nami and Usopp only once after he woke up, and he'd seemed determined to ignore them ever since then.

Nami wondered if he was mad at them. Usopp had been angry with her when he'd first woken up. She couldn't blame him either. He had to experience the grief of loss all over again. She would have been angry too.

Her dream was easier. Bellemere had been alive, sure, but not a part of Nami's dream life. That was probably the reason her dream had been so easy to break. Whatever was keeping them here, whatever had lulled them into these dreams, had made a fatal mistake when it had made Nami's dream. Limitless wealth was nice and all, Nami couldn't deny it had its appeal, but it wasn't everything. In her heart, Nami knew that. The hotel, however, apparently did not.

It was a long time before Franky stood from the bed. He stretched his arms, a few of his non-metal joints popping a little. He took a deep breath, and let it out slowly.

"That was super not cool of me," Franky said to them as he approached. He placed one massive metal hand on each of their shoulders. Thanks, Usopp, Nami."

"No problem, Franky." Nami smiled up at him. There were tears in his eyes, but that wasn't unusual for Franky.

"Well then," he said. "This is all _super_ confusing. Would anyone mind filling me in?"

Nami and Usopp shared with him what they knew, which admittedly, wasn't much.

"I think it's safe to assume none of us can recognize the others in our dream," Nami said. It was another piece of information she had noticed during Franky's dream. She wasn't sure exactly what was happening here, but she knew if she paid attention she might learn something. Even little details could hint at something big.

"Vivi was in my dream," Nami told them, "but I didn't recognize her, and she was the only one. Usopp didn't know me, or any of us. And Franky, you stared at me and Usopp like we were there to murder your family."

"Bad memories," Franky winced a little. "Sorry."

"Don't worry about it." Nami waved it off. "Anyway, it seems the hotel has to keep us separate. I have a couple of theories about that. The first is that the hotel _has_ to keep us separate, because it's trapping all of us. Maybe it can't generate memories of us in our heads while we're trapped here. The house can't make multiple copies of the same person, especially when it's trying to keep that same person asleep, does that make sense?"

"Maybe." Usopp frowned. "What's your second theory?"

"It's keeping us separate because we're weaker that way." Nami shrugged. "If everyone had been in my dream, I might have noticed sooner that something was off. We all would, I think. It's in the hotel's best interest to keep us apart, and find other dreams to keep us in."

Franky and Usopp both seemed to contemplate that for a moment, and silence fell between the three of them.

"I don't know, sis," Franky frowned. "Something's going on here though. It gives me a super bad feeling."

"So what next?" Usopp asked.

"I guess we try to find the others," Nami said.

"Should we split up?" Usopp suggested. "Maybe we could cover more ground that way?"

"I think we should stick together. It's easier to get through to the others with more of us around," Nami said. It was true, but she also didn't want to be alone again.

Both she and Usopp looked at Franky for his input.

"Waking people up is important, but so is getting out of here safely," Franky said. He looked out the window of his room where a cold, grey sea battered against the rocks. "I think one of us should go make sure the Sunny is fit to sail."

Nami opened her mouth to argue, but Usopp put a hand on her arm to silence her.

"Sure, Franky," he said. "Just keep an eye out for anything suspicious."

"Of course, bro." Franky struck a pose. "I'm _super _aware!"

He looked like the old Franky she was used to, but he pulled his sunglasses on despite the dark room. Franky was, by his nature, and optimistic and cheerful guy, but even so, Nami couldn't believe his dream wouldn't get to him. She remembered the way he had bickers with Iceberg and the way he had smiled when he came back in from helping Tom with the ship. She could still see the warmth in his eyes as he teased Kokoro before bed. It was obvious that those people had been his family. Maybe some time with the ship he had built would be better for him.

"I'll come back as soon as I have everything ready to go," Franky said. "You two take care of the others."

"Sure thing," Usopp said, nodding.

"Hey, Franky." Nami stopped him before he could get out the door. "Don't fall asleep," she warned. "And watch out for yourself." She looked up at the high ceiling of the room. "I have no idea what this place might try next."

"Thanks." Franky waved. "I'll be careful."


	5. Chapter 5

Nami and Usopp made their way towards the next flight of stairs, picking carefully around broken bits of furniture and plaster from the walls, as well as rotten pieces of carpeting and lumps of gray fuzz Nami prayed was dust. Her balance teetered a little as she stepped over an overturned table, but she caught herself on one of the legs. She pulled her hand back from the damp wood, only to find it covered in some unidentifiable brown slime. She shuddered and did her best to wipe the sludge onto a peeled strip of wallpaper.

She hated this hotel, and she wanted to go home.

"What did you mean when you said you didn't know what this place would try next?" Usopp asked, moving away from her side and out of the path of a crushed grandfather clock.

"I didn't mean anything," Nami said. It was a partial truth. She didn't want Usopp to worry, he was scared enough as is.

"You meant something." Usopp narrowed his eyes at her.

"No, really, I didn't."

"Nami." Usopp stopped in his tracks, and it took Nami a second to realize she was alone. She turned back to find him watching her with a level gaze. She could tell he was serious; his voice was flat, unamused, and straight to the point.

She sighed. "Okay, fine. I just get a weird feeling about this place, okay? And I think…" she paused, hesitant to say the next part. "I think there is something else here. Besides us." She eyed the hallway behind them, as if expecting to see their enemy there. But the hallway was as vacant and unassuming as ever, and that only made her more uneasy.

"You mean besides us and a creepy, possibly living hotel?" Usopp snorted with false bravado, but peeked over his shoulder, shuddering a little as if a sudden chill crept down his back.. "I kind of get that feeling too."

"Have you seen anything?" Nami asked.

"Just a shadow." He shrugged, but his shoulders trembled as they rose and fell. He was a terrible actor. "It could have been the candle light playing tricks on my eyes."

"Yeah," Nami replied, her tone uncertain. She wasn't able to force an act of nonchalance the way Usopp did.. "Mine too."

They lapsed into silence after that, both of them straining their ears for any out-of-place sound. Nami could feel the crunch of splintered wood under her feet with each slow step, and Usopp scared her half to death when he tripped over the shattered remains of a vase. There were no other sounds aside from their own, however. The hallway was silent.

Nami peeked over her shoulder. The candles in the sconces flickered, making shadows dance in behind them, but nothing seemed out of place. They were seemingly alone, but Nami couldn't shake the feeling that there was someone else with them. The prickling sensation of being watched made goosebumps rise on her skin. The shadows that danced in the flicking candle light did nothing to ease her fears.

The stairwell to the fourth floor was a wreck. Whole stairs were missing, leaving open pits in their place. Usopp peeked into one of the missing steps, and Nami could see his shoulders tremble as he shuddered.

"This isn't fair. Why did Franky get to go outside and we have to stay in this creepy place?" Usopp whined.

"You're welcome to go join him," Nami snapped. Truthfully, she agreed. She was just as afraid and uneasy as Usopp, and the tension of her fear was wearing her patience thin. She would have loved to have joined Franky out on the Sunny as well. Their home was safe, and more appealing than ever. But someone had to wake the others up, and because she was the first one to wake up, Nami felt the responsibility fell on her shoulders. She appreciated Usopp's company, but she wouldn't force him to stay even if his presence was a comfort.

"I'm not leaving you alone, Nami," Usopp said, a look of grim determination on his face crossing his features. Nami blinked at him with some surprise, but she couldn't stop the smile that stretched across her lips. She could always count on Usopp.

"Thanks, Usopp."

Being the lighter of the two, Nami went up the staircase first, testing each step as she went to make sure it could bear their weight. A few cracked under her feet, but they held, and she passed over them quickly. Coming across one of the missing steps, she stepped over it, but made the mistake of glancing down into the darkness. It was pitch black, so dark Nami couldn't even possibly tell where it led to. An icy cold breeze rose up from the hole, brushing against her bare legs and making Nami shiver.

It was just like the room with the broken door downstairs. It felt like something was lurking in the darkness, and Nami suddenly regretted wearing a skirt. She stepped over it quickly. In her haste, her foot slipped on the worn down wood, and for one second she was suspended in the air, looking down into the darkness. She was falling, and while she might not fall all the way through, terror gripped her heart at the idea of being anywhere near it.

"Whoa!" Usopp cried. His arms caught her, just barely. He bought her enough time to find her footing, and she stood again, safe.

"Thanks," she said, trying to calm her breathing. Her heart was still pounding rapidly in her chest, and she tried not to think about what might have happened if Usopp hadn't been there with her.

"No problem." Usopp shrugged and looked down into the hole. "It's creepy."

"Very," Nami agreed. She didn't want to linger there long. The sensation of being watched seemed worse after her near fall, and she was eager to get away from the dark pits of the stairs. "Let's keep going."

The fourth floor seemed to be in the worst condition yet. Once upon a time, it might have been beautiful. The ceiling seemed higher than the other floors, and above them, a grand looking chandelier still hung. It was covered in dust and abandoned webs now, but its beauty was still apparent. The hallway seemed wider than the others, and Nami once again wondered about the hotel's strange proportions.

The carpet beneath their feet was half eaten and so moldy its previously color was indistinguishable. The walls were once polished wood, though it was now worn and faded with large sections gouged out. But it was not the moldy carpet or the worn walls that made this hallway so bad.

While the other floors had their fair share of broken parts, it was nothing compared to this. From where she stood, Nami couldn't see a single spot on the floor not covered in the broken or dismantled parts of a chair or bed. A large mattress, torn to shreds in the middle was propped up against the door nearest them, its bed frame scattered all over the ground. It looked as if most of the furniture in the hotel was torn to pieces and left on the fourth floor.

"Wow," Usopp muttered, standing next to her. "This is going to be hell to navigate in the dark."

"I should have insisted Franky come with us." Nami sighed regretfully and glanced up at the candle burning in the nearest sconce. Its flame was dim, and the shadows cast by the mess of furniture overwhelmed what little light there was. "His lights would have been useful right now."

"You mean the nipple lights?" Usopp snorted. "I'd rather do without."

Nami laughed a little, but the sound died quickly. She didn't quite agree.

"Do we try to open this door? Or skip it?" Usopp asked, moving to the door that was blocked by the mattress. Opening that door meant having to move the mattress, and the thing looked massive and _disgusting._

Nami cast her gaze down the hall out of curiosity. All the doors in this hallways were blocked by furniture in one way or another. Most were a little better off than the mattress door, but not by much. It was as if something had conspired to make the doors harder to open here.

"We might as well try it," Nami said. "On the count of three, we'll push it."

She counted to three, and together, she and Usopp managed to push the mattress away from the door. The mattress teetered for a moment, before it tipped backwards and landed with an alarmingly loud _thud_. Nami could feel the floor shudder beneath her feet, but nothing else happened. Nami sighed with relief, happy that the floor didn't give out beneath them. With the state the hotel was in, she couldn't be too sure that there wasn't a danger of that happening. For now, however, they were safe, and she reached out and tried to pull open the door that the mattress had been blocking.

No luck. The knob didn't twist and the door remained firmly closed.

"Nope," Nami said, frustrated.

Usopp shrugged and moved on. Nami followed, stepping carefully around the fallen mattress.

"I hope we don't have to make a quick escape," Nami said.

Usopp swallowed. "Why would you say something like that?"

"It's a maze here," Nami said. "Or maybe an obstacle course. We'd have a hard time getting out."

"Nami," Usopp whined. "You sound like Robin."

Despite the situation, Nami laughed. "I didn't predict our death."

"You're right," Usopp said, a sly grin on his face. Then he set his expression into one that was calm and unfazed. "'I hope we don't have to make a quick getaway, or we might trip and be impaled on a stake'," he said in a spot on imitation of Robin.

Nami laughed again. The sound was deafened by the massive amount of furniture, but it gave her a feeling of relief nevertheless. She climbed over a toppled dresser, feeling a little better than before.

The next door was blocked by several broken pieces of wood that might have all once belonged to the same chair, but in their current state it was hard to tell. Together, she and Usopp moved the pieces away, tossing them across the hall or to the side, out of the way enough to be able to reach the door. Nami dusted off her hands when they were finished and wished (not for the first time) that she could take a bath.

Usopp reached for the door this time, but after a moment of struggling, he gave up.

"Locked," he declared.

The pattern continued. They would make their way carefully through the ocean of furniture, clear it away from each door they came to, and try the knobs. Every one of them had been locked so far.

By the time they came to the last door, Nami had broken out into a sweat. Some of the furniture they had moved was heavy, and even with Usopp helping it was a difficult task. Her muscles ached from the effort, and her eyes were watering from all the dust.

"What happens if this door doesn't open?" Usopp asked curiously.

"Then we go to the next floor," Nami said it was if it were an obvious statement, but if this door was locked it certainly blew a hole in the theory that there was one of their crew members on every floor.. It would break the pattern the hotel had abided by so far, and that would raise a whole new round of questions into her mind.

"But first things first," she said. "We try this door."

Usopp nodded and tried to turn the knob. It turned with incredible ease, and the door creaked open. Nami and Usopp exchanged a quick glance to make sure the other was ready. That settled, they stepped into the newly opened doorway.

* * *

Nami hit the water before she even had time to make sense of the falling sensation. The cold, wet landing caught her off guard and she gasped in surprise, taking in a lungful of water in the process. She choked, and for a panicked moment she couldn't breathe, and so she couldn't move. She could feel the absence of air through every part of her body, and alarm bells were ringing through her mind. She was going to drown.

A shadow moved above her, cast in the light of the sun that sparkled down through a layer of water. _The surface! _Her mind screamed at her to swim, to move up towards the light. She listened to her body's instinctual command and shot through the water, kicking her legs and pulling herself up with her arms as hard as she could.

She broke the surface, gasping and sputtering for air. She coughed, attempting to clear the water she'd accidentally inhaled. Beside her, Usopp was doing the same, wheezing in between coughing fits as he attempted to pull in clean, fresh air.

"I hate whosever dream this is already," Usopp said, his voice hoarse from the burn of the salty water.

"It's Sanji's," Nami said.

"How do you know that?" Usopp asked.

"Because the Baratie is floating right over there." She pointed towards the floating restaurant. It looked the same as it had the last time Nami had seen it, minus the hole Luffy had accidentally blown into the side. A few other ships were anchored around it, no doubt patrons of the restaurant.

"Dammit," Usopp grumbled. "Only Sanji's dream would require a swim."

Nami chuckled and led the way, starting the swim towards the floating restaurant on the sea.

They both managed to haul themselves up onto the ship's deck, where they took a moment to rest. Nearly drowning, however brief the experience, drained Nami's energy, and the swim to get here certainly didn't help.

The sun was shining high above them. Nami could feel it warming her skin and drying her hair. She tried to wring out the fabric of her clothing as best she could, but the chill of water still clung to her. She sighed. At least she didn't have to worry about sweating anymore.

"What luck I must have for god to send an angel to my ship," a familiar voice cooed.

Nami tilted her head upward. Sanji was there in his ever present suit and apron, looking no different than the last time Nami had seen him. He was peering down at her lecherously, and Nami couldn't help but to think, albeit a little bitterly, that that was just like usual as well.

"Sanji," she said with some relief.

"My angel even knows my name!" He spun around in joy, his arms reaching into the air.

"Yep, that's Sanji alright," Usopp muttered, sitting up.

Sanji abruptly stopped spinning. He turned his gaze onto Usopp, his expression cold. Usopp cowered under the look. It was the same expression Sanji wore when he found out someone had been looting the kitchen.

"We don't accept stowaways on this ship," Sanji said. "You'll have to see your way off."

"He's with me," Nami said quickly, reaching to clutch at Usopp's sleeve. "You wouldn't send a lady's attendant away, would you?"

She batted her eyelashes. Sanji, at least, was easy to coerce.

"Of course not!" Sanji kneeled and offered his hand to Nami. "Please, come inside. I'd love to treat you to a warm meal. And maybe some tea? It's a poor time of year for swimming."

"I'd love that, thank you." She accepted his hand.

The Baratie was just as she remembered it. There were plenty of customers in Sanji's dream, all dressed in the finest clothing they could afford, as those that sought out a meal at the Baratie usually were. Usopp and Nami in their plain clothing would have gotten enough attention on their own, but with both of them soaking wet, they stuck out like a sore thumb.

Sanji sat them at a table and passed Nami one of the menus for her to look over. He made sure to point out which dishes were his specialties, and offered her fine wine with each dish he suggested. When he'd fully explained the menu, he left them be, giving Nami an adoring smile and sparing a disgusted look for Usopp as he passed.

"Yeesh," Usopp grumbled, snagging the menu from Nami. "I don't miss the old Sanji."

Nami twisted her hair in her hands, attempting to wring out the remaining water. She fluffed it out, hoping it would dry in a presentable manner.

She shrugged. "At least he let us inside."

"He let _you_ inside. I'm only here because I'm your 'attendant'. Why did you have to say that anyway?" Usopp rested his chin in his hand. He looked like he was pouting.

"It'll be fine," she assured him, suppressing a smile.

She leaned closer to Usopp so she could look at the menu as well. She was so close, she could feel the heat radiating off his skin. It gave her goosebumps. Her own skin felt cold in comparison.

"Do you think anything here is edible?" she asked.

Usopp made a sound of discontent, and let the menu fall closed. "I doubt it."

Nami sighed. "I miss Sanji's food," she said.

"I miss the Sanji that didn't glare at me like he hated me," Usopp muttered.

Sanji returned a few minutes later, a steaming mug on a tray alongside a towel.

"For you, my lady," Sanji said, bowing as he presented Nami with the tea and the towel.

Nami thanked him, taking both from the tray. Once she had, Sanji straightened again and turned to Usopp.

"You," he said. "You're dripping on the carpet."

Usopp looked like there was an avalanche of words he wanted to unleash on the cook, but he kept his mouth shut. Nami wasn't sure if that was because Usopp knew this wasn't really _their_ Sanji speaking, or if it was because Usopp was afraid of what might happen to him if he spoke up, but regardless, he held his tongue and picked up one of the napkins from the table to start drying his hair with.

"And what would you like to eat, my dear?" Sanji asked, turning a sweet smile on Nami.

"Um…" Nami shot the menu a look. She hadn't even bothered to give it a proper look. She already assumed it would all taste the same: like nothing. "Whatever the chef recommends," she said, flashing him a smile.

A drop of blood spilled from one of his nostrils.

"Okay!" He half-shouted, half-sang. "Right away!"

Usopp undid the tie in his hair, and let the curls hang loose over his shoulders while he tried to dry it out as best he could with the small piece of fabric.

"Here," Nami said, passing the towel to him.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yeah," Nami said. "My hair is mostly dry anyway, and my clothes are as good as they are going to get for now."

Usopp thanked her and quickly rubbed the towel through his hair, trying to scrub away every drop of water. The end result was a massive puff of unruly curls that made Nami laugh. Usopp struck a pose, obviously aware of how ridiculous he looked, before he joined in on Nami's laughter.

People were definitely staring at them now, but Nami found them easy to ignore. The stress from the day seemed to melt away as Usopp made her laugh, so she couldn't be bothered by other people's reactions right now.

Nami wiped a tear from her eye as her laughter died down.

"This reminds me of old times," Usopp said, looking around the dining room. "Remember? This is the first place we came after I joined." He smiled fondly at the old memories. "Not much has changed."

Nami smoothed her fingers thoughtfully over the thick fabric of the tablecloth. The memories of this place were sweet, but tainted with the bitterness of what came after them.

"I thought this was the last time I'd ever be happy," she confessed. "I thought it would be the last time I'd ever get to be with you guys."

Usopp watched her, but didn't say anything.

She could feel tears pricking the backs of her eyes. She remembered vividly the sinking feeling in her gut when she knew she had to return to Arlong. She remembered the sadness she felt as she left the three boys behind. She remembered the bitter taste in her mouth as she acted like their enemy, as she pretended their friendship had meant nothing to her. She betrayed them, turned on them.

All she had wanted in that moment was a miracle.

One of Usopp's fingers found her hand on the table. He traced along the scar that was still visible, left over from where she had run her hand through with a knife to save his life.

"Idiot," he chuckled quietly. "I knew right away you weren't going to leave us."

Someone cleared their throat. Usopp snatched his hand away and looked anywhere but at Nami.

"Am I interrupting something?" Sanji asked. His voice was cool, but it was all directed at Usopp. The moment he turned to address Nami, his voice softened. "For you, my lady, the finest lobster tail in all the East Blue." He set a plate down in front of her. "On the house." He winked.

"Wait, did you say the East Blue?" Usopp asked. His attitude towards Sanji momentarily vanished.

"Yes?" Sanji answered, confused. "Where did you think you were?"

Usopp frowned. Nami watched him. She could tell he was on to something.

"What about the All Blue?" Usopp asked. "Shouldn't you be there?"

Usopp was right, Nami realized. Sanji's dream was the All Blue, shouldn't the Baratie have been floating there? It seemed unbelievable that Sanji would give up life on his dream ocean just to be waiting tables back in the East Blue again.

"The All Blue is a myth," Sanji said. His voice was dull, as if this were something he said so often that he was tired of repeating it.

"Yeah?" Usopp said, frowning. "But isn't that the beauty of it?"

Silence fell between the three of them. Sanji was staring at Usopp, but not in the cold, uninviting way he had before. There was some mixture of admiration and frustration in Sanji's eyes as he stared down at the sniper, but then he blinked and it was gone.

"There's no such thing as the All Blue," Sanji said, looking away. "It's a kid's dream."

With that, he left them to eat their meal in peace.

"So what do we do?" Nami asked.

Usopp pulled a piece of lobster from her plate and chewed on it thoughtfully.

"Bleh," he said, spitting the piece back out. "It doesn't taste like anything."

"Usopp!" Nami's voice raised just a little too loud and several other customers turned to glare at her. She lowered her voice and in hushed tones said, "try to take this a little more seriously?"

"I am taking this seriously," Usopp countered. "I just thought I would try to eat something before we brainstormed."

"We don't have a ship," she reminded him. "So I'd really like to figure out a way to wake him up before we end up having to stay the night here."

Usopp's brow furrowed as he thought. Suddenly, he smiled.

"I've got it!" he declared.

"What is it?" Nami asked, her eyes widening in expectation.

"All you have to do is flash him! If he sees that, he might—"

Nami's fist came down on his head before he had a chance to finish his sentence. A few people turned to look but quickly went back about their business when they caught Nami's eye.

"Ouch!" Usopp cried. "Did you have to hit me?"

"Keep making stupid suggestions and I'll hit you again," she warned. "I ought to charge you for even _thinking _about it."

"No, please don't," he pleaded.

"Then shut up and use your brain to think of something _realistic_," she said.

They fell quiet again. Usopp folded his arms across his chest and his mind seemed to drift away in his thoughts. Nami ignored him and tried to think up a plan herself.

How could they wake Sanji up? She almost wished Zoro was there. The way they fought, that kind of friction would be enough for anyone to wake up. But Zoro was still off somewhere in the hotel, lost in his own dream, and Nami and Usopp couldn't get under Sanji's skin nearly as well as their swordsman could.

"I don't know, Nami," Usopp finally said. He looked tired, as if thinking so hard wore him out. "It's weird to think about how to ruin someone's day."

"It's weird," Nami said, "I thought he would be in the All Blue."

"Yeah," Usopp agreed, "Me too. But I guess it's not that weird. I mean, Franky hadn't even built the Sunny in his dream, so maybe it's normal."

"Maybe," Nami agreed reluctantly.

"Maybe he just can't visualize it?" Usopp asked. "He's never been there before."

"I don't think so." Nami shook her head. "I had never been to the place my dream was set in either."

"Speaking of your dream..." Usopp started.

"Later," Nami interrupted him quickly. "We have to wake Sanji up first."

Usopp let the subject drop, seeming to turn his thoughts onto the task at hand instead. She suppressed a sigh of relief. Compared to the others, her dream seemed so shallow and selfish, it was too embarrassing to share. Her loved ones hadn't even been around, her dream-self had been content to be living away from them. The thought made her stomach churn. Was she really like that? So selfish that she craved money more than she missed Bellemere? She felt so ashamed, sharing her dream was impossible. She didn't want anyone to know how corrupt she was inside her mind, least of all Usopp.

"So the question we need to be asking is 'why isn't Sanji in the All Blue'?" Usopp asked after a few minutes contemplation.

"I told you," a voice interrupted their conversation, startling them both. "The All Blue is a myth."

Sanji placed a bowl of rice down in front of Usopp, his eyes averted as he did so. Of course Sanji wouldn't have let him starve, that much was the same. A lot about Sanji was the same, except the Sanji they knew chased dreams, while this Sanji seemed content to deny them. That was the difference, Nami noted, and if she could solve the riddle behind why that difference existed, she might be able to wake Sanji from this dream.

Usopp opened his mouth, ready to argue with Sanji's claim, but Nami silenced him with a kick under the table.

"Sanji-kun," she purred seductively, the way she always did when she asked a favor of Sanji. It was the surest way to get him to both listen and agree with whatever would come out of her mouth next.

"Would you treat me to a date tonight?" She batted her eyelashes for extra effect.

Blood spurted from both of Sanji's nostrils, and she was quick to avoid the stray drops. Sanji didn't even bother to cover the flow.

"Is this reality?! Have I died? Of course, my angel! I would be delighted!" He spun in several circles, a strange victory dance of his own design. Nami could feel the headache she usually got from Sanji's overly dramatic behavior building up between her eyes.

"Wonderful!" She clapped her hands together and smiled. "Then I will meet you outside on the front deck, just after sunset then?"

"Of course!" Sanji cried, pausing in his spinning just long enough to answer. There were tears of joy in his eyes. "I'll await you, my love."

"Thank you," she cooed, brushing his arm as she stood. Usopp followed her unspoken cue, but he was shooting her a confused look. She ignored him for now.

"Then I will see you then," she said to Sanji. To Usopp she said, "Come now, I must prepare for my date."

They left Sanji behind them to mop up his own blood.

* * *

Out on the deck, Nami took a deep breath. The briny smell of the sea air grounded her. It smelled familiar, and warm. The East Blue smelt different from the Grand Line, somehow. The air lacked the inconsistent, unstable charge that the Grand Line held. It was purer, maybe, fresher. Nami breathed deeply again, savoring the air of her home waters.

"What the hell, Nami?!" Usopp exclaimed, his voice cutting through the soothing sound of gentle wave lapping against the hull of the ship.

Usopp leaned against the side of the building, rubbing his sore shin and shooting her looks as if she'd betrayed his trust in some way. She chuckled. He'd forgive her in no time, but he certainly liked to try to hold his grudge.

Everything in this dream was an water and the air and the sounds of the ocean that Nami had once called home weren't real. At least, not here. This was a dream. But Usopp, Usopp was very real.

"I'm sorry," she said, barely managing to suppress her laughter. "It's just, I have a plan."

Usopp stopped rubbing his shin and his betrayed expression turned to one of interest. She was forgiven already.

"How is a date a good plan?" Usopp asked.

"What better way is there to get Sanji on his own?" She shrugged. "He's not going to talk to us in a public setting like this."

"So what should I be doing while you're making fancy with our chef?" Usopp asked. There was a slight bitterness to his tone.

"You'll be coming with me, of course," Nami said. Her smile turned wicked. "You are my attendant, after all."

Usopp cringed. "I think I'm coming down with a case of 'I-really-can't-play-your-attendant' disease."

"Nonsense." Nami waved him off.

"One question," Usopp said. "What are we going to wear? No offense, but you can't exactly go on a date dressed like that."

Nami looked down at her outfit. Her clothes were chosen for comfort rather than appearance, a side effect of having been in and out of her bed at all times of the day because of the storms. They'd been slept in and worse since then, and they'd definitely seen better days.

"You have a point…" she said, racking her brain for a solution. She couldn't exactly go shopping right now.

Her eyes scanned the horizon. She would need to come up with a dress. A cocktail dress would be ideal, but at the moment she couldn't really be picky. She eyed the ships that were moored around the restaurant. She wondered if she could steal one and sail it to the nearest island, but she knew that was impossible. She'd never make it back in time…

The solution came to her like a bolt of lightning, striking her brain.

"Follow me," she said to Usopp, "and do exactly as I say."

* * *

Nami and Usopp stood on the deck of the Baratie dressed in the finest clothes Nami could steal from one of the surrounding ships. The nice thing about the floating restaurant was that it attracted a certain high-class clientele. Nami managed to find an appropriate evening dress for herself and a simple but elegant suit for Usopp to wear as her attendant.

Behind them, the sun was just beginning to dip below the horizon, bathing the sea around them in gold. Nami shivered as a breeze stirred the chill of the sea. She wasn't dressed for warmth, that was for sure. Thankfully, Sanji was never late, so she wouldn't have long to wait.

"Care to fill me in on the plan?" Usopp asked.

"This is it," Nami shrugged, glancing over her shoulder. Any minute now Sanji would be here. "We're just going to get him on his own and go from there."

Usopp snorted. "I still think it'd be smarter for you to just flash him."

Nami was in the process of crushing Usopp's toes under one of her heels when Sanji finally arrived.

"Nami-swan!" he sang. "You look as charmingly radiant as ever. The sun pales by comparison!"

He knelt to the ground before her and took one of her hands in his. He pressed a sweet kiss to the back of her hand and presented her with a rose. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes and forced a smile.

"This is beautiful, Sanji," she said, taking the rose from him. "Wherever did you find a rose at sea?"

"For a lady such as yourself, there is nothing I would not search the world over to acquire." He bowed deeply.

Usopp snorted again, and Sanji seemed to take notice of him for the first time since he'd arrived.

"Nami, my sweet." He spoke quietly, as if Usopp couldn't hear his hushed tones. "I thought that it would just be the two of us."

"It would be unladylike to meet you alone for the first time," Nami said. "You wouldn't do anything to ruin my honor, would you?"

"Of course not," Sanji said, looking stricken by her words. "If it makes you more comfortable, my dear…" he trailed off, a glare settling on Usopp. Usopp cowered a little under the look.

"Well then, shall we go, my dear?" Sanji asked, offering his arm to Nami.

She took it, and together the three of them entered the restaurant once more.

Sanji led them quickly through the dining area. There were only a few people inside at the moment, mostly couples cozying up to each other as the last light of day vanished outside the windows. Nami expected Sanji to seat her at a table among them, but to her surprise, he led her past the dining room and into the back, where the kitchen was located.

Several eyes turned their way immediately. She suddenly felt very aware of the length of the dress she had found, and self-consciously tugged the hem down.

"If you've got time to stand around and stare you've got time to clean!" Sanji barked at them. At once, the cooks of the Baratie turned away, busying themselves with other tasks. Meat hissed in hot pans and knives worked furiously through vegetables. Orders were shouted and tasks were distributed around the kitchen. Anyone who noticed Nami quickly looked away, their tasks keeping them too busy to care.

"In here, my love," Sanji beckoned, leading her into a small space just off the kitchen. It looked like a small prep room, and over the scented candles Nami could smell faint traces of raw meat, but the table in the center was finely decorated, and Nami decided she could ignore the odd scent. Sanji pulled a curtain closed behind them, sealing off the view to the kitchen. It did little to hide the sounds, however, and Nami could still hear the crass language the cooks threw back and forth to each other as they worked.

"I am sorry, my angel," Sanji said. "I expected a table in the dining room but…" he trailed off. "I was refused."

No doubt by Zeff. Nami wondered if this "date" was fully approved by the head chef, but she didn't ask. She needed Sanji to feel comfortable with her, not to be doubting his own decisions.

"It's lovely," Nami commented, smoothing one of her hands over the tablecloth.

"I'm so happy you think so!" Sanji crooned. "Now if you'll excuse me for just a moment, miss, I'll get our refreshments."

With that he was gone, leaving Nami and Usopp alone, tucked away in some far corner of the Baratie's kitchen.

"Charming," Usopp grumbled, flicking one of the flowers that sat in the vase in the center of the table. "Sanji really tries too hard."

"Don't tell him that," Nami said, chuckling. "Besides, some girls might like this." She inspected the tablecloth more closely and trailed curious fingertips over the base of one of the candlesticks. "It's too much for my taste."

"You mean because it would cost too much to put together?" Usopp asked.

Nami scowled at him and refused to answer.

Sanji came back a moment later, a bottle of wine and two glasses in his hands. "For you, my lady, our finest wine," he said, pouring her a glass.

She smelled it tentatively. The sweet but sharp aroma of the wine danced playfully in her nose. She sighed. The date might have been too expensive for her tastes, but she would have enjoyed being pampered. It was a shame she wouldn't taste the finest wine the Baratie had to offer.

She set the glass aside. "Say, Sanji," she started.

"Hold that thought, love," he said, setting his glass down opposite of hers. "I'll be right back."

And he was gone again.

"He's avoiding us," Nami said.

"Huh?" Usopp frowned. "You think so? Isn't this just the usual Sanji?"

"No." Nami shook her head. "The usual Sanji is much harder to shake off."

Usopp didn't quite look like he believed her, but Nami didn't bother to explain further. She was used to Sanji's doting attention, she'd been the subject of most of it from the moment they met, and she could tell there was something off about his behavior.

Sanji disappeared and reappeared several more times with various plates of appetizers. He presented each one to Nami, swooning for her approval, before dashing off to get the next one.

"You will love these," Sanji promised, presenting Nami with yet another dish. "Our vol-au-vents are famous throughout the East blue, and—"

"Sanji," Nami interrupted. She calmly placed both her hands on the table, smoothing out the tablecloth between them. "Sit down." The tone of her voice left no room for argument. It was the same voice she used when she was giving orders on the ship, and the voice she used when the others had cost her money. Beside her, Usopp flinched a little.

Sanji obeyed, sitting in the chair opposite of Nami and Usopp. He looked uncomfortable there.

"Is there something wrong, my flower?" he asked, his voice weak.

"Why are you here?" Nami asked. Her attempts at a subtle approach hadn't worked, it was time to move on to plan B: direct attack. "Why aren't you on the All Blue?"

Sanji's mouth opened and closed several times, but words seemed to fail him. He looked away from them, fixing his stubborn gaze on the wall.

"There is no such thing as the All Blue," he said, adamantly.

"But you don't really believe that," Usopp said.

Sanji's eyes widened. "What?"

"You don't really believe there is no such thing as the All Blue," Usopp repeated.

"So, Sanji," Nami said, "why are you denying the All Blue exists?"

A cold, wet sensation danced around Nami's feet, seeping into her shoes. She looked down in surprise. The ship seemed to be taking on water. It wasn't much, but it was enough to wet their shoes. Usopp seemed to notice as well. He lifted his feet out of the pooling water and shot Nami a look. Their plan was working.

Sanji, on the other hand, did not seem to notice the water gathering at their feet. The cooks on the other side of the curtain didn't seem to notice either. Their communication and banter continued on, uninterrupted.

Sanji scowled and raked a hand through one side of his hair. "Because it isn't real," he said. "There's no way somewhere like that could actually exist, someone would have found it."

"Isn't that someone supposed to be you?" Usopp asked.

"Wha-?" Sanji sputtered. "Why me? How could I even expect to find such a place?"

Nami could feel the cool water creeping up her legs. It was midway up her shins now, icy cold and turbulent. She tried to ignore the unpleasant sensation.

"That's your dream, Sanji," Nami said. "Right? Wasn't it? You know it's out there, why aren't you looking for it?"

The water reached the seat of her chair.

"My dream is too big!" Sanji roared. "How am I even supposed to know if it's real?! I could just be chasing legends!"

Silence followed Sanji's outburst, lasting until Usopp asked, "So you're afraid?"

"What if I am, long-nose? What would you know about it?" Sanji snapped.

The water lifted Nami from her chair. Almost to the table now, swirling and violent, like Sanji's temper. The cooks of the Baratie remained unconcerned. Nami could still hear the hissing and sizzling of foods being seared to perfection.

"You know it's out there, Sanji," Nami said, frowning.

The briny seawater crept over the surface of the table.

"Oh man," Usopp muttered. "I hate this part."

Nami slammed both her fists on the table, splashing the water over herself as she did so. The candlesticks shook, one teetered before plunging into the icy water and meeting a quick death. The flame of the remaining candle flickers and quivered, casting long shadows around the small space. The noise from the other side of the curtain had stopped. It was silent except for the gurgle of the water and the chattering of Usopp's teeth.

"Sanji," Nami said, her voice cold, stern, and commanding again. "Wake up!"

The water rose above their heads, the final candle died, and everything was dark.

* * *

The three of them woke, gasping desperately for air. It took a moment for them to shake the remnants of the dream off and control their breathing again. Nami could still feel the cold sting of seawater against her skin. It made her shiver.

The familiar sound of a cigarette lighter flicking to life seemed to chase away the last of the chill. Sanji held his cigarette with steady hands, watching the cherry red of the burning paper and tobacco for a moment with a serious expression. His brow furrowed, and his lips pulled into a disgusted sneer before he folded in on himself, pressing his forhead into the palm of his free hand.

"Sanji?" Nami called him softly, pushing herself up from the floor. She tried not to look too closely at the rotting carpeting. "Are you okay?"

"I'm an idiot, Nami-swan," Sanji said. He sounded tired.

"What's new?" Usopp snorted.

Sanji raised his head and shot Usopp a dark look. The sniper flinched and ducked behind a chair instinctively, but Sanji only sighed and casted his glare elsewhere.

He rose from the bed, straightening the collar of his shirt and adjusting his cuffs. He stood straight, looked confident, but still wouldn't look in their direction.

"You know, Sanji," Nami said, taking a few steps closer. "The All Blue is definitely out there."

"Of course it is, Nami-swan," Sanji nodded once.

"And if you feel like you're dream is too big, we can help you carry it."

He turned to face her, finally. He tipped his head to the side as if considering her words. Then he reached out to her pulling her too him with one arm.

"Thank you, Nami-swan," he said. She could hear the smile in his voice.

"You're welcome," she said, smiling herself. "But if your hand wanders any lower, I'll put you back to sleep."

"Yes, mellorine!" he cried, releasing her and stepping away. "And thank you too, long-nose," he added nodding in Usopp's direction.

Sanji took a drag of his cigarette. "So," he said. "Where are the others?"

Apparently he was keen to put the whole dream in the past. That was fine with Nami.

"Asleep, I assume," she said. "Except Franky, he said he wanted to check on the ship."

"Those lazy bastards," Sanji said quietly, almost to himself. "Of course I'd expect no less of that shitty moss head. Ah!" he suddenly shouted. "But Robin-chwan needs our help!"

Nami sighed. "Yes, Robin… and the others."

"Robin-chwan!" Sanji shouted again. "You need not worry! Your prince is coming to save you!"

As if on cue, Usopp's stomach let out an uncomfortable growl. Nami could feel a hollow gurgling in her own stomach reflect the feeling. She was starving, and the food in Sanji's dream had done nothing but teased her.

The sound of Usopp's stomach brought Sanji up short. He stopped his spinning and cooing almost immediately, and instead pulled a cigarette out of the pack in his pocket.

"Are you hungry?" Sanji asked, lighting up his cigarette and taking a deep drag. "I'll make something."

"With what?" Nami asked. She glanced around the room at the half rotten furniture and the general disrepair. "I'm afraid to know what the kitchen here must look like."

"You'd be surprised Nami-swan," he said. "I will come up with something for us. The others will probably be hungry as well. Luffy's missed a couple of meals."

He didn't need to say anything more. The first thing Luffy would want when he woke up was food, and he'd be insufferable until he got it.

"It might take some time. You two go on ahead, I'll get started on some food. Send anyone you find down." He started to leave the room but then stopped, turning to Usopp. He placed a hand on his younger friend's shoulder. "You have a very important job, Usopp. I'm trusting you to find Robin-chan, and to keep Nami-san safe."

"And the others?" Usopp asked, raising an eyebrow.

"They're fine," Sanji stepped back, waving his hand dismissively. "I'm trusting you."

"Sure." Usopp shrugged.

"Good." Sanji nodded and after giving Usopp a final thumbs up, he slipped out the door.

"He makes me tired," Nami said, rubbing out her headache.

"Me too," Usopp said. "Come on, we should go."


	6. Chapter 6

Nami slapped a hand over her nose and mouth as they headed up to the fifth floor.

"It stinks," she groaned through her fingers.

It smelled earthy, but putrid and rotten. The smell got to her even through her fingers, and it filled her mouth with a rancid taste.

"I don't know what's worse, the smell or the taste it's leaving in my mouth," Usopp said, pinching the base of his nose closed.

The corridor itself was relatively neat by the hotel's standards. It was free of furniture, broken glass, and whatever other debris the other halls had housed. The carpet was worn down and half rotted, and the ever present cobwebs still hung from the ceiling, but their path was clear. However, Nami would have gladly taken another hall blocked with furniture over the horrid smell that made her eyes water.

"It smells like manure," Usopp said, pulling his hand away from his nose just long enough to sample the air. Tears instantly sprang to his eyes and he gagged. "If there were something decomposing in it."

Nami could feel her stomach twist, and her mouth filled with spit as her throat tightened. She was going to be sick. "Usopp," she said, trying to swallow down the feeling, "please stop."

The carpet crackled under their feet, the fibers stiff with grime. The wallpaper was streaked with rust colored marks that looked suspiciously like they might have been blood, hand prints smeared into the peeling paper in a desperate pattern. The hallway looked like a poorly decorated haunted house, but it made Nami shudder. She clung closer to Usopp to avoid going too near the walls.

Most of the doors on this floor were boarded shut, narrowing their options from five doors to just two. It was a small blessing. The sooner they found the right room, the sooner they could get away from the terrible smell. It chilled Nami to the bone to think about where the smell might be coming from, but she would be more than happy not to find out.

"Which one do you think?" Usopp asked. His voice was nasally under his hand.

"I don't know," Nami shrugged. "You take one, I'll take the other?"

Usopp nodded and moved to the door at the far end of the hallway, leaving the one in the middle for Nami. Dark handprints stained the wood, looking as if someone had beat against the door with bloody palms. Nami's stomach twisted. She took a deep breath through her mouth, ignoring the acrid taste of festering rot, and reached out for the knob.

She twisted, and the door knob crumbled away in her hand. Red flakes of rust trickled from beneath her fingers and rained down to the floor like confetti. She jerked her hand away and attempted to shake off the remains of the crumbled rust. She stared at the remains of the handle, a misshapen post stuck through the door, looking as if a light breeze would make the rest crumble away.

"Nami!" Usopp called her attention away from the rusted door handle. "I got it!"

Nami brushed her hand off on her leg, leaving a rusty red smear on her skin. She groaned in frustration. When this was over she was taking a bath first thing. She met Usopp in front of his chosen door. It was cracked open just slightly, enough to allow a bright light to stream out from the other side.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Let's go."

Usopp let the door swing open fully, and together they pushed through the entrance.

* * *

Nami tripped over their feet as they were forced out of a small doorway. Bright light blinded her, and for a moment all she could register was a brilliant blue sky filled with rolling clouds before her back hit a stone pathway, knocking the air from her lungs. The sky filled with stars as her head cracked against the ground. She barely managed to catch her breath when Usopp landed on top of her with a cry, forcing the remaining air from her lungs.

Usopp swore and rolled off of her. "Sorry, Nami!" he said, scrambling onto his knees. "Are you okay?"

His worried face hovered over hers, blocking the sky from her view. One of his hands brushed her bangs away from her face and his dark eyes searched hers, heavy with concern.

Nami gasped and coughed, remembering once more how to breathe.

"I'm fine," she croaked, her voice unsteady. She pushed herself up, and Usopp immediately moved to help her into a sitting position. "I've had better landings though."

"Yeah." Usopp laughed. "You looked pretty ridicu—" He cut himself off when he caught the threatening glare on Nami's face. He cleared his throat. "What I meant was: it happens."

Nami shot him another look and pulled herself to her feet. Some gentle probing beneath her hair revealed that there was a knot forming on the back of her head. Her head throbbed every time her fingers brushed against the bump, and she pulled her hand away with a sigh. Add some of Chopper's headache medicine to the list of things she was strongly in need of.

Nami turned to look at what had caused their fall. It was no surprise they had toppled out the way they had: the door to the little shed barely looked big enough for one person to pass through, never mind two.

Nami took in their surroundings. Long, untamed grass rolled in waves over the hills, and a gentle breeze made the leaves dance in the trees. The combined chirping of cicadas and birds rang out in the summer air. There were no people around, and aside from the small shed they had fallen out of, the only other building Nami could see was over on the next hilltop.

The sun was shining down from above, casting shadows from the branches around them. Nami stepped out into the light and sighed with relief. Dream or not, the sunlight warmed her skin and chased away the eerie chill the hotel gave her.

"I wonder whose dream this is," she said happily, closing her eyes and letting the sun touch her face.

"I don't know," Usopp said, drawing nearer. "It kind of reminds me of home though."

It did remind her a little bit of Usopp's dream of Syrup village. The sunlight and the fresh air was comforting, the weather reminding her of the tropics surrounding Cocoyashi village as well.. But it wasn't the weather that reminded her of her own home; it was the atmosphere, the feelings of peace carried by bird song and the gentle breeze.

It felt nostalgic and comfortable here, but it was different from both of their homes: the ocean was nowhere in sight, only an endless stretch of land that rose and fell like waves but remained frozen in time.

Nami took one last deep breath of warm summer air. "Come on," she said to Usopp. "Let's go see what we can find."

They headed for the building on the hilltop, Usopp humming as they walked. It sounded like one of Brook's sea shanties, the one about the drunken sailor and the horrible pranks the crew pulls on him. It was one of Sanji's favorites, mostly because he liked to pointedly sing it to Zoro.

Though Usopp was not exactly musically inclined (his voice broke on notes that wandered above his speaking voice), Nami didn't stop him. Instead, she hummed along, and laughed at the lyrics Usopp made up on his own. She hadn't felt this good since before the storm.

The storm they had been trapped in had put her nerves on edge, and countless sleepless nights had made her sensitive to every change in the wind. Even now, the sudden displacement of air had her on high alert, startling Nami out of her previous good mood.

"Duck!" she hissed, shoving Usopp hard enough to send him sprawling. She dropped down next to him just in the nick of time. Her eyes widened as she turned to see blades of clean cut grass drifting gently to the ground where they had been standing just a moment before.

"What was that?!" Usopp shrieked.

Nami silenced him with a hand to his mouth. She strained her ears; letting every nerve on her body stand at attention as she waited. She held her breath as boots stepped almost soundlessly across the grass. She strained her eyes to make out their attacker, but he moved too fast for her to follow with her vision along. She used her other senses instead, and could feel the push of the air, moving with his advance.

"To your left!" She shouted.

Usopp was quick to obey, rolling to his left over the grass. Nami followed after him, keeping low and moving as fast as her body would allow. She heard the slash of metal as it sliced through the weeds, and she sprang to her feet. Instinctively, she reached for her Clima-Tact, but her fingers only met air. It wasn't in the holster on her leg like it always was, and she couldn't remember the last time she had seen it.

"Zoro!" She shouted.

He seemed to materialize from the grass. He moved with the frightening stealth and grace Nami had only seen Zoro use against enemies. Zoro didn't look like the Zoro that Nami knew. His expression was too serious, all grim determination, flashes of anger, and a sadistic glint in his eyes.

"Did you really come to challenge me without weapons?" he asked, an air of smug superiority in his words. He let out a humorless chuckle. "Well then…"

"We're not here to challenge you!" she said.

Zoro paused, seeming to take her words into consideration. To her relief, he sheathed his swords.

"If you're not here to challenge me, then you have no business here," he said, turning away.

"Hey, wait!" she called. "We just want to talk!"

"Nami." Usopp spoke quietly, his voice only trembling the slightest bit. "I think we should go for now."

"But…" She sighed, knowing he was right. Zoro wasn't going to hear them out right now. "Fine."

She watched Zoro's retreating figure for another moment before she turned to walk back the way they came.

* * *

"Do you have your slingshot on you?" Nami asked.

Usopp looked around in surprise. He'd spent the last few minutes pulling up tufts of grass and scattering them around, his agitation making him restless. His slingshot and the bag he carried were missing.

"No," Usopp replied, his surprise turning to disappointment. "I think the last time I had it was before I fell asleep. I didn't even think about it."

"My Clima-Tact is missing too," Nami sighed. "It seems the hotel didn't want us to wake up armed."

"I wish Franky or Sanji were here," Usopp moaned. "I bet Franky's weapons all still work, and it's not like they could take Sanji's legs from him. And both of them could knock some sense into Zoro easily!" Usopp punched his fist into his opposite hand, then let them both fall limply into the grass. "What are we supposed to do?"

Nami stared at the building on the hilltop. That was probably where Zoro lived. It gave him the perfect vantage point of the surrounding area, and therefore the best chance to ambush his enemies.

"I don't know," she answered, sighing. "But we have to do something."

"Can't we just tell him we want to talk?" Usopp asked, pulling up another clump of grass.

"He'd cut our heads off before he listened to us talk," Nami said. She fell back into the grass, staring up at the endless blue sky. She watched the clouds float by, trying to find shapes in them as she planned what to do next.

The idea struck her like a lightning bolt.

"Maybe that's it," she said, sitting up again.

"Maybe what's it? Getting our heads cut off?" Usopp swallowed. "No way!"

"Think about it: When does Zoro ever listen to reason? Actions speak louder than words!"

"Nami." Usopp frowned at her. "Are you listening to what you're saying?" He placed a hand against her forehead. "Do you have a fever?"

She ducked away from his hand. "I don't have a fever, I'm fine!" she said. "Come on, I know what to do about Zoro!"

"Nami!" Usopp grabbed her wrist, stopping her from getting up. "What exactly is the plan?" he asked.

"Zoro isn't going to hurt us," Nami said. "When have you ever known Zoro to kill someone who wasn't even armed?"

Usopp was stumped by that one. He scratched his head, frowning as he considered the question.

"We have to show him that we know that, and that we aren't afraid of him!"

"And how do you know he isn't going to kill us?" Usopp asked, then he sighed. "Look Nami, I know Zoro isn't a bad guy, but this isn't the Zoro you and I know. He doesn't remember us, or Luffy, or anyone. He's Pirate Hunter Zoro! Demon of the East Blue!"

"He's still Zoro," she said, folding her arms over her chest.

Usopp swiped a hand over down his face. "I can't change your mind, can I?"

"Nope."

He sagged, his arms falling limp to his sides and his head hanging. "Fiiine, but if he kills us I'll make you pay for it in the afterlife."

"If we die, I'll make it up to you," she said, beaming at him. She grabbed his arm and pulled him forward. "Come on, let's go wake up our grumpy swordsman."

Usopp sighed in defeat and obediently followed behind her.

* * *

They headed back towards the hill, only this time Nami led them around the opposite side of the building. There were no trees surrounding them from this side, leaving only a wide grassy field for them to cross. It put Nami and Usopp at a clear disadvantage if their intentions had been to sneak up on the property. Since they didn't, Nami hoped it would put Zoro's mind at ease a little bit.

Sure enough, no one came to attack them even as they got close enough to make out the features of the building. It was a traditional styled house, old fashioned but charming. Out on the yard to the left was a variety of training dummies. Nami could see the front doors were thrown open, inviting in the pleasant summer breeze into a training room. This was no doubt where Zoro lived; it was suited to his every need. They would probably find his weight set if they had a chance to peek further inside.

Zoro was seated in the grassy field some distance from his home. His eyes were closed and his swords rested gently against his shoulder. He looked as if he were asleep, but when they drew closer he stood up. He looked more at ease and relaxed like Nami had hoped, but he also didn't look very inviting.

"Oh man," Usopp groaned. He clung to Nami's arm as if she would shield him. She could feel him trembling. "Oh man, oh man."

"It's fine," Nami assured him.

"If you're here to challenge me, then draw your weapons!" Zoro called to them.

"We're not here to challenge you," Nami said. "Obviously. We aren't even armed!"

Zoro seemed a little stumped by this. For a moment Nami could see his cool, tough guy exterior melt away, and she could see the idiot she had come to know over months at sea together.

"You're saying you didn't come all this way to seek out the world's greatest swordsman?" Zoro asked, confusion furrowing his brow.

"A little full of yourself, aren't you?" Nami asked, folding her arm over her chest.

Zoro frowned. "Then… why are you here?"

Nami opened her mouth to respond, when she noticed two people emerging from the open doorway of the house. One was a man, old enough to be Zoro's father. He looked well-kept and moved with the same disciplined grace as Zoro whenever he held a sword, but his expression was less serious. Wrinkles were set around his eyes, suggesting he smiled often. The other person was a young girl, maybe twelve-years old. There was a mischievous gleam in the girl's eyes that reminded Nami a little of Luffy. It was a look Nami had learned to dread.

"Is that your family?" Nami asked, curious.

Zoro glanced back at the two people that had come out and he scowled. He stepped sideways, sliding himself into Nami's line of sight and hiding the two strangers from her vision.

"That's none of your business," Zoro said. "Why are you here?"

"To talk," Nami said, shrugging. "We just need to talk to you."

"Heh, yeah, right." Zoro placed his white sword into his mouth, and readied his stance. "If that's really all you're here for…"

He moved slower than he normally would. She lost sight of him for only a moment when he finally made his move, but it wasn't hard for her to find him again, and when she did she found it surprisingly easy to follow his movements.

It would have been easy to dodge him too. She felt Usopp tugging at her arm, begging her to leap to the side with him, but something told Nami to hold her ground. It was the same gut instinct that led her out of storms. It had never steered her wrong, and so she stood her ground even as Zoro rushed towards her, swords ready to attack.

She felt steel bite into her side, gouging into her skin just above her hip. She gasped in pain at the sudden sensation, raw red tendrils of heat searing from the wound and stabbing through her nerves. She grit her teeth around the sounds that threatened to spill from her mouth. She refused to cry out, refused to do any more than breathe and hope for the pain to pass.

She settled her hand over the wound on her stomach. Warm blood spilled out onto her fingers and panic seized her heart. Startled, she drew her hand away and looked down at the wound.

A clean, straight line was split into her skin. Sticky blood coated her hand and stained her shirt, running down to stain her skirt. It wasn't deep, she could tell that much just by looking at it, but it was deep enough to draw blood, and it hurt like a bitch.

"God dammit, Zoro," she cursed him, covering the wound with her hand once more. "I am increasing your debt for this!"

"Nami!" Usopp cried in alarm. He scrambled to his knees from where he had dropped down to avoid Zoro's swords. Nami had been so distracted by Zoro's attack and the slice on her stomach that she hadn't realized he'd moved. He pulled Nami's hand out of the way and pulled her shirt up in one fluid movement. "Shit! Okay, hold on!"

"I'm okay, Usopp," Nami assured him, trying to sound as calm as possible.

"You're bleeding!" he said, staring up at her. He looked so worried, she almost wanted to laugh, but his fingers prodding at the slice on her stomach made her wince instead.

Usopp turned. "Zoro—"

"Zoro!" A young girl's voice cut Usopp off mid-sentence. The girl from the house came down the hill towards them. Her hands were balled into tight fists and she had an angry scowl set into her features. As soon as she was close enough to reach, Nami watched her pull her fist back and punch Zoro in the arm. She hit hard enough to make the great swordsman wince.

"Kuina, what the hell?!" Zoro shouted, barely managing to sidestep out of the way of her next punch.

"What do you think you're doing?! Putting on your stupid tough guy act. They aren't even armed!" The girl, Kuina, shouted at him.

"I didn't kill her!" Zoro defended.

"You idiot!" Kuina kicked at him, missing him by a few inches as he retreated away from her. Then she turned to Nami and Usopp. Usopp flinched as she did so, obviously fearing the same treatment. Nami stared with wide eyes, shocked by the young girl's brash attitude.

"I'm sorry about the big idiot over here," she said, pointing her thumb over her shoulder at Zoro. "Would you like to come in for some tea? And we can bandage you up there."

"Sure," Nami accepted. She liked this girl. "Thank you."

"The least I could do." Kuina shrugged. She waited for Usopp to stand up and then led them up towards the house.

"You'll have to forgive Zoro," she said as they walked. "He's had a ton of challengers ever since he got the title of 'world's greatest', so I guess he's just in the habit of attacking first and asking questions later." She shrugged, then lowered her voice before continuing. "Even though I can still beat him."

"I can hear you," Zoro grumbled. Nami and Usopp started, turning their heads at the same moment. At some point while Kuina had been talking, Zoro had fallen into step behind them.

"And that last match between us didn't count!" he added.

Kuina snorted but didn't bother to retort, and as they had reached the house, she didn't have time to.

The older man greeted them when they reached the house. He smiled at them both, his face peaceful and serene.

"Welcome," he said to them. "I'm sorry about Zoro's rude greeting. I believe he means well."

Zoro made some kind of choking noise behind them and Nami and Usopp had to keep their laughter quiet.

Kuina and the man that must have been her father led them into the home. They bypassed the training room and settled into a quaint little room with little more than a table, some cushions, and a few wall decorations. The simple, traditional room reminded Nami instantly of Zoro, a man of few material possessions.

She wondered how Zoro was related to these people. She figured they might have been his father and sister, but while the girl and the older man looked related, neither of them looked at all like Zoro. Both of them were dark haired, with dark eyes and delicate features. Neither of them had green hair or deep set eyes that made them look like they were permanently scowling. Perhaps they were distant relatives, or maybe Zoro was their family the way Nojiko and Nami were family; not by blood, but by something just as strong.

Zoro didn't enter the little room. He stopped and settled himself down outside the doorway. It was apparent that while his family was happy to accept Usopp and Nami into their home, he was not. He looked relaxed enough though. He'd probably fall asleep that way.

The older man introduced himself as Koshiro before leaving to prepare them some tea.. The young girl appraised them with bright, curious eyes for a moment before she spoke.

"So what brings you guys out here? It's kind of a hard place to find."

"Oh." Nami and Usopp exchanged a look. Maybe they needed to start plotting their excuses ahead of time.

"We actually just came to talk to Zoro," Nami said.

"Huh." One of Kuina's eyebrows quirked up. She didn't look like she believed them. "How do you know Zoro?"

"He's the world's greatest swordsman, isn't he?" Usopp chuckled.

"I meant besides the obvious," Kuina answered with a deadpanned expression, not at all amused by Usopp's weak attempt at humor.

Usopp struggled with words for a moment. Several false starts left his lips only to be cut off as he tried again. He gave Nami an idea, however, and she used quickly stepped in to his aid.

"Usopp here is a writer," she said. "He came to write the story of the World's Greatest, told first hand from the swordsman himself!"

That seemed believable enough, but Kuina's eyes narrowed on Nami. "Then why are you here?"

Nami wanted to hit the little brat, but she couldn't help but admire her keen eye. Fortunately, Nami had already thought up a believable excuse for that one too.

"I'm his girlfriend!" she said, attaching herself to his arm in the most affectionate manner possible. "He's gone so long sometimes," she said, pouting. "I made him take me along this time. I didn't know it would be so dangerous!"

Her innocent act didn't seem to sit too well with Kuina, but the girl seemed to accept the lie anyway.

"Oh, gross," she said, wrinkling her nose.

Nami giggled and kissed Usopp on the cheek for good measure. His face deepened in color which only made her laugh more.

"Kuina," Koshiro said, coming back into the room with a tea tray in his hands. "Don't be rude to our guests."

He kneeled down beside Nami, setting the tray on the table. "If you'll let me," he said, lifting a roll of bandages so that Nami and Usopp could see. "I'm quite used to bandaging up sword wounds."

Nami pushed away from the table and lifted her shirt enough to allow Koshiro to work. "Thank you," she said.

"It's kind of weird," said Kuina as she poured tea into each of their cups. "If you're the writer, why is she the one getting hurt for you?"

Nami glanced at Usopp. She could see his cheeks darken in embarrassment at the question. He didn't look at Kuina, averting his eyes and looking properly ashamed. She knew he felt bad, but she also knew he didn't have a reason to. For all they knew, Zoro might have really tried to kill Nami. She was just more stupid and stubborn than Usopp, and had held her ground when she should have listened to him and moved.

But she couldn't say anything to assure Usopp that he hadn't been wrong. In his mind, this was another mark of cowardice against him, and he wouldn't forgive himself. Later, if she had the chance, she would try to talk to him, but for now she held her tongue. It wasn't the right moment for that.

"I'm his partner," Nami answered for him, knowing there wasn't a good excuse Usopp could come up with. "He wouldn't be able to do the writing if something happened to him, so I volunteered myself instead."

"Uh-huh." Kuina looked doubtful, but didn't say anything more.

"Kuina," Koshiro said again, his voice more stern, but surprisingly low and quiet. His fingers were so gentle as they wiped the blood away from Nami's wound and laid the bandage over it, and there was something about his presence that was very serene and calming. But when he spoke Nami could hear a kind of power in his voice that made her just a little bit afraid.

"Sorry," the girl muttered, looking put out by her father's tone of voice.

"You're all done…" Koshiro trailed off.

"Oh. Sorry. I'm Nami."

"Nami," he finished. Then he stood and took a seat next to Kuina.

Nami slid herself closer to the table as well, and forced a sip of her tea. Just like food, it had no real taste or consistency, but she was getting better at faking it.

"When our tea is finished, I will leave the two of you to talk with Zoro." Koshiro glanced at the doorway, where a sliver of Zoro's frame was just barely visible. "Though I'm not sure you'll be able to get much out of him."

"Zoro doesn't like strangers," Kuina added.

"I know he doesn't," Nami muttered, trying not to sound bitter.

It wasn't that Zoro didn't like strangers, it was just that he held a general indifference for most people. Unless they were his friend or his enemies, he didn't have much interest in forcing a conversation with them. Nami imagined that would be no less true for her and Usopp, because although they were friends in another life, here Zoro had no knowledge of them. But they hadn't come this far to give up, and Nami wasn't going to let Zoro sleep all day when there was work to be done.

"How do you know?" Kuina asked with some surprise.

Nami faltered, mentally kicking herself for not thinking before she spoke, but thankfully Usopp managed to cover for her.

"We've heard a lot about him," he said.

She gave him a grateful look, thankful all over again for his presence. They worked pretty well together like that. Usopp was probably the person she felt most connected to on the ship, after all. She loved all of her nakama, sure, but Usopp was different. He wasn't fearless, strong, or battle hungry. She could always count on Usopp to be the voice of reason, even when she was blinded by the prospect of treasure.

"Huh." Kuina frowned. "You shouldn't believe everything you hear in rumors."

"Trust us," Nami said, "we don't."

The four of them fell silent after that, with only the gentle sounds of the wind and a soft tapping of one of Kuina's fingers against the floor between them. Usopp absently sipped at his tea, though Nami knew it was flavorless and had no texture. Koshiro regarded them both, his face set in a peaceful smile, but he didn't say anything else. Nami felt as if he was trying to read her, and it made her feel uneasy. But he didn't seem to mean her any harm, so she tried to ignore it. Kuina looked bored, and stirred her tea with one finger.

Kuina seemed like a being of constant motion, as if she were the very opposite of Zoro. Where Zoro was content to spend long periods of time unmoving out on the deck, tucked into a corner of the galley, or hiding up in the crow's nest, Kuina seemed like she needed to be moving at all times. It was as if her body were stored with energy that she needed to keep moving to release. She tapped her toes and flexed her fingers, repeatedly straightened and folded her legs. Her eyes moved between the people in the room, and then to the objects, and then to the walls and back again. She was constantly in motion. But her movements were never jerky or sloppy. Even the most casual of movements was acted out in a smooth and deliberate flow. Her moves were studied, disciplined, the way Zoro's were anytime he held a sword. Only these movements were as natural to her as breathing, her grace and balance and careful precision were all acts born from years of study and training.

"Are you a swordsman too, Kuina?" Nami asked, suddenly so curious about this little girl who moved so carefully, even more so than Zoro.

"Yeah!" she exclaimed. "I told you! Zoro's the 'world's greatest' but I can still beat him." Her excitement faded a little, but the smile still remained on her face. "I'm the only one he'll never be able to beat."

Nami had a hard time believing that. Zoro was a full grown adult, built with thick, heavy muscle. Kuina was still just a kid, small and lean. And while she might have had some muscle of her own, it was small and poorly defined. Her body still had a lot of growing to do before it could compete with Zoro's. If Kuina was telling the truth… well, Nami was curious to know .

They sipped at their tea absently. When Nami was finished with hers, she set the empty teacup back on the table. The strange texture and tastelessness aside, it wasn't too bad. It was better than trying to eat solid food that turned to vapor in their mouths. That was too much of a sudden change for them to stomach, but the tea was bearable.

When the last cup had been finished (Kuina's surprisingly) Koshiro rose from the table, tea tray in his hands.

"Come, Kuina," he said as moved. "Let's leave Zoro to speak with his friends."

Kuina gave them one last unreadable look, some mixture of distrust and familiarity, and left the room behind Koshiro. On her way out, she cuffed Zoro in the back of the head, hard enough that he lurched forward in alarm. Nami watched him rub his head and shoot a glare towards the young girl as she laughed and darted down the hallway. His face settled into an expression Nami wasn't used to seeing on Zoro's face: one of complete calm. He looked so peaceful as he looked after Kuina's retreating form.

Then he turned to glare at them, and the illusion was shattered.

"We are not friends," Zoro said, correcting Koshiro's earlier statement. Then he settled against the door once more and was still.

The statement had seemed odd to Nami, too. True, Zoro was their friend in his waking life, but here in his dream they were strangers. It was an odd comment to make, even in passing, and coming from someone who knew Zoro.

A breeze blew outside, threading through wind chimes, causing them to play a gentle melody. The sound was faded and muted in the little room they were in, but it was a calming sound nonetheless. Nami closed her eyes. It was strange that a man as battle hungry and ambitious as Zoro could have a dream that was so peaceful.

She wasn't sure of how to proceed from here. Zoro would never listen to reason the way the others might have. He was stubborn, set in his ways, and if he accepted this dream as reality, it might be impossible to wake him up from it.

She opened her eyes again, looking to Usopp. She intended to ask if he had any ideas about how to proceed from here, but the look on the sharpshooter's face was so troubled the words died before they left her mouth. Despite the peace of this dream, Usopp looked as if there was something bothering him, something deep and painful.

He wasn't looking her way. He was glaring down at the table, his brows furrowed, an expression on his face Nami had not seen since that day he had heard about the Merry; the day he challenged Luffy to a duel, and when she thought he'd left them for good…

She shook the thoughts from her head. Usopp wasn't going anywhere; he was here now, and that was what mattered. However, he did have something on his mind, something that stuck deep, and that was the issue she had to address first.

"Usopp, what's—"

At the sound of her voice, he jumped, seeming to crash land back into reality. He looked around wildly for a moment, and then his eyes settled on Zoro in the doorway. He didn't acknowledge that Nami had spoken at all, but his eyes narrowed in anger at Zoro.

"How long are you going to sleep?" Usopp asked. There was a sharpness to his voice that surprised Nami. He was usually so friendly and passive that the bite behind the words seemed unnatural.

Zoro chuckled. "I'm not sleeping."

"You are," Usopp said, his words tumbling out so fast they almost cut Zoro's off. "Right when your nakama need you, you're taking a nap."

Zoro stiffened. The line of his shoulders grew incredibly still. Outside, in the distance, Nami could hear the wind chime's tune growing faster and more erratic as the wind picked up. She could feel the floor beneath her start to tremble.

Zoro turned to face them, twisting his body around the edge of the doorframe. His face was the picture of anger, offended by Usopp's words, but he didn't draw his swords. Something stayed his hands.

"What are you talking about," Zoro asked, his glare narrowing on Usopp. It was a look that could kill, full of venom and warning.

"Luffy, too! Are you just going to keep sleeping while your captain is in trouble? You gave me hell for turning my back on Luffy!" Usopp continued, his voice rising.

Nami looked from Zoro to Usopp. Zoro had given Usopp hell? It shouldn't have surprised her. She remembered Zoro's anger on Water 7, and his refusal to accept Usopp back onto their crew until he apologized properly. She had thought that everything was forgiven once Usopp had made his apologies, but maybe that wasn't the case. Maybe for Zoro there was still a lesson he needed to drive home into their sharpshooter, and Zoro's lessons were never easy.

Zoro drew back, confusion marring his features. He fought to keep the anger apparent on his face, but it was fading, and something else was beginning to take its place.

The clanging of the wind chimes had become muffled, an ugly bump of metal on metal caused by its tangled ropes. The room began to shake more vigorously, enough that the few decorations hanging along the walls fell from their places. Dust and bits of plaster rained from the ceiling. Nami looked up warily, watching cracks form long, winding patterns across the space above them.

"Usopp..." Nami warned.

Usopp and Zoro didn't seem to notice. They were glaring at each other, frustration and anger boiling behind their eyes. Nami had never seen them look at each other that way before, and it scared her.

"At least after I betrayed Luffy, I had the decency to help my friends when they were in need," Usopp said. He wasn't shouting. His voice was calm, but deadly. Spiteful.

Zoro's brows furrowed, like he was remembering something he'd forgotten.

A chunk of the ceiling broke away, falling down from above. It clipped Nami's shoulder as it fell, smashing into the bone and scraping across her skin. She cried out, pain tearing her voice from her throat before she could stop it.

Usopp and Zoro both turned to look at her. Usopp's face registered alarm as he finally began to notice just how bad things had become. Zoro didn't move from the doorway, but his face had changed. Shock, surprise, and recognition seemed prominent, and Nami could see his confusion plainly the way one of his hands reached for the swords on his hip, though they only held one of the hilts in a light grip. He was caught between the reality of his dream and the reality of his memory.

"Come on, Zoro!" Usopp said, turning away from Nami just long enough to look their swordsman in the eye again. "Our friends need us. Luffy needs us!"

Time almost seemed to freeze for a second. The violently shaking ground, the cracks spreading across the ceiling and up the walls, the broken sound of the tangled wind chime – everything seemed to freeze for a fraction of a second.

Zoro stood from where he'd been sitting, and took a tentative step into the room.

"U…sopp?" He said slowly as the recognition sank in.

* * *

The ceiling gave way with a loud _crack_, burying them under dust and debris.

Nami woke to the sound of Zoro's heavy gasping. He was sitting up in bed, a hand pressed to his chest, deep, heaving breaths wheezing in and out of his lungs. The room around them was rotted, putrid, but intact.

She pulled herself off the floor, trying not to think about the dampness clinging to her. Usopp was next to her, looking everywhere but at Zoro. He seemed alright, a little dirty from the hotel, but unscathed, and aside from the determination with which he avoided Zoro's gaze, he seemed relaxed enough.

Zoro pulled himself from the bed. He looked around, his expression angrier than Nami had seen it yet.

"Where are my swords?" he asked. Without waiting for an answer he stomped to the bathroom attached to the room, practically tearing the door from its hinges in his search.

"I don't know," Nami said. "My Clima-Tact is gone too, and so is Usopp's slingshot."

At the mention of Usopp's name, Zoro froze, and turned to look at the two of them. His eyes fell on Usopp, and held there. Usopp didn't look his way, he seemed to suddenly find the candelabra on the wall fascinating.

Zoro blinked and looked away, tearing through the bathroom in search of his weapons. When he was finished with the bathroom, he tore into the room's closet, scattering moth eaten fur coats and other assorted old clothing around the room. He upended tables and chairs, ripped up the carpeting, and put a hole in the wall in what could only be described as a frantic search. Nami had never seen Zoro look so desperate. It wasn't the first time his swords had been taken from him, but this time he seemed more afraid of going on without them. The idea of Zoro afraid of anything gave Nami chills.

His search of the room finally led him back to the bed. He dropped to his knees to look under the mattress, pulling out a pair of moldy slippers and a few broken bedsprings out of his way. He stood again, and taking the corner of the bedding in one fist, he ripped it away.

There, in the sheets, right next to where Zoro had been lying, was one of his swords. It was the white one, the one even Nami, who had no interest in swords at all, couldn't help but admire. It had been by Zoro's side for as long as she had known him.

The other two swords were still missing, but Zoro visibly calmed. He took it in both hands and sat back down on the bed. He almost seemed to cradle it, handling it with a careful grip. His fingers and thumbs brushed along the scabbard almost reverently.

The soft expression on Zoro's face was familiar to her now, though no less surprising to see.

"Were those people your family?" she asked, curious.

For a minute she didn't think Zoro would answer her. It wouldn't have been the first time he ignored her questions when he felt she was being too nosy. He kept his gaze on his sword, lost in thought, his brows furrowed just a little.

But finally, he spoke.

"They are very important to me."

Nami let the subject drop after that. She sat quietly, letting Zoro inspect his sword for damage and regroup his thoughts. She watched him as he carefully handled his sword. There was something about it, maybe the way it shined in the light, or the fluid way it moved as Zoro gave it a few practice swings, that made her think about the girl in Zoro's dream.

Before she had the chance to think on it, Zoro stood once again and slid his sword into this haramaki.

"Are the others still asleep?" he asked.

"Yeah," answered Nami. "Well, except for Franky and Sanji. Franky is out with the ship and Sanji said he was going to try to make us some food."

Zoro scoffed at the mention of Sanji, and muttered something that sounded like "shitty cook," but Nami couldn't be sure.

"Well, we better go get the rest of them," Zoro said, folding his arms over his chest.

Nami stood up, and Usopp followed her lead, brushing himself off. He was trying to look casual and failing miserably.

Zoro led the way to the door, walking with purpose and determination. He walked past Nami and started past Usopp but then stopped, turning to look at the sharpshooter. Usopp avoided his gaze, but didn't back away or move. If anything, Usopp looked as if he were trying to disappear into himself.

Zoro raised one of his hands and placed it on Usopp's shoulder. Usopp flinched, but relaxed when he realized Zoro wasn't going to kill him. Zoro squeezed his shoulder gently, and then released him, turning away.

"Thanks," said Zoro, and then he moved away, opening the door and stepping into the hallway beyond.


End file.
